As
Seen On TV Products
A ton of money goes into branding, obviously. The commercials
at Super Bowl time will tell you this. More money goes into
what is called product placement: technically, a sitcom or series does
not make visible any product name not being endorsed. That
is, for example, consider the show that features a kid crying over a
bad time in school the day before. Mom comes to the table,
where the kid is eating—or trying to eat
breakfast—to find out why he is so reluctant to go to school
this morning. On the table are milk and cereal, but we
audience members/viewers do not see the labels…or if we do,
the cereal is called “Toasted Purple Oats” and the
milk carton just reads, “Milk”. With
product placement, however, the company products are intentional
displayed, and the brand names intentionally shown.
So if you think about it, you might be getting a dose of almost
subliminal advertising—those it is above not below the line
of consciousness—which subtly nudges you to buy the Coke or
Pepsi the character is swilling on a hot day, for instance.
But then there as-seen-on-TV-products. These are not the
as-seen-on-TV products that just happen to be a part of the show, plot,
storyline, or what have you, as in the Macintosh laptop Carrie is
writing on for her column, in the show Sex in the City. These
are the as-seen-on-TV products that the industry wants you to directly
be aware of as a Television advertised product and wants you to look
for, describe to others and the telemarketing clerk, and buys as
specific as-seen-on-TV products.
The advertising for these is blatant and inclusive of the
“as-seen-on-TV product(s)” label as it is the
company name label and the product name/description label. In
other words, try this: close your eyes and ears so you are not looking
at or listening to any external stimuli. Now, just visualize
the AS SEEN on TV lettering. Can you see it? Likely
you can, and an even sees the jagged star encircling the
phrase. Now, again without looking at or listening to
anything else, try to come up with just one of those as-seen-on-TV
products that you recall from having seen, heard about, or
bought. I bet you can do it. I can. The
Thigh-Master. The pot holder weaving device. The
multi-functional Bob Vila tool(s). Those bags that you stuff
with storage items then suck with a reverse vacuum. Food
dehydrators. Oldies but goodies.
It works, doesn’t it? The advertising, that
is. May your next as-seen-on-TV product work as well!
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