Yes, product placements are annoying, but the research on how effective they are is fascinating and surprising. Get this: According to IAG Research, the most effective placements on TV in 2007 — meaning viewer opinion of the company was dramatically enhanced because of the tie-in — were Tyson Foods (for donating a massive amount of meat in an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition) and Sue Bee Honey and Soft Scrub (both for The Apprentice: Los Angeles). Also making the Top 10: Kraft (No. 4) and Kenmore (No. 10) for Top Chef, Visa (No. 9) for What Not to Wear, and Second Life (No. 
for The Office.
IAG also researched how well viewers recalled brand names within 24 hours of seeing them in a placement and a commercial together during an episode. Bluefly.com was the most memorable with its Project Runway tie-in, followed by Jeep on Gilmore Girls(!), and Ford on Survivor: Fiji.
Do you have fond feelings for a company because it was tied-in to a certain TV show? And what product placement did advertisers miss? I don’t know that I’d buy a Jeep because Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham, pictured) drove one, but I would certainly buy whatever coffee she drank at Luke’s…
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Among blog-readers and TWOP fans of Top Chef, Kenmore certainly didn’t get their money’s worth. A constant behind-the-scenes refrain was complaints about the inadequacy of the “Kenmore kitchen.”
I have to admit I have a soft spot for Sears, Kenmore, Tyson, CVS and any other company that makes large contributions to EMHE
I’m surprised Cover Girl’s integration into America’s Next Top Model didn’t make the list. I guess WB = Smaller viewer numbers.
garrick, i will second that cover girl snub! and the cw loves product placement! the last episode of gossip girl was all about victoria’s secret!
The Sheinhardt Wig Company
The Junior Mint plug on Seinfeld was the all-time classic. They’re very refreshing!
Burger King on Arrested Development (Tobias: This is a great restaurant. Narrator: It sure is!)
Staples products on The Office (I’ll buy anything from that show)
How is it possible that American Idol’s oustandingly aggressive placement schemes are not among the most effective??? Their strongarm tactics worked on me – I can’t ever leave AT&T wireless – how else would I text in my votes?!?!
Any car driven my James Bond is a car I want to be driving. But I want all the extras Q puts in. Imagine how drastically your life would improve with a passenger side ejector seat.
Nissan Rogue or Nissan Versa for Heroes. What car will they pick for the next season?
Snapple because of 30 Rock. I honestly never drank Snapple before that.
Not only the Junior Mints — “Seinfeld” was also responsible for me actually seeking out Drake’s Coffee Cakes, AND for still looking for an Entenmann’s yellow cake with white icing (that would look like the one from the Duke of Windsor’s wedding…) And PEZ!!
I’m jumping to the movies here, but I think every one I know wants a red Swingline stapler (thank you, Office Space!).
The character’s name is actually spelled Lorelai.
I hate the Yaris on Smallville. It makes dialogue so awkward. People don’t say “Take my Yaris,” but they do say, “take my car.”
I love how cleverly they integrated snapple into 30 rock
I would always laugh a little when Sydney Bristow would jump into a Ford Focus on Alias. Really not the kind of car she’d be driving. Mr. Sark tooling around in a Mercedes Benz? THAT worked for me. Yum.
I L-O-V-E-D the bagel slicer placement in The O.C (own it today on DVD from BestBuy). If they would have named the brand, I so would have bought it. On the miss side, Google totally missed out the opportunity to associated itself with Veronica Mars (she finds what you’re looking for – and so do we) and GMC forgot to highlight that professional grade ™ cars of course don’t desert you after a nuclear attack (Jericho). On a sideline, when will product-placementability (is that a word?) rather than ratings will determine if a show airs or not. And does that mean that eventually, say, Banco Central de Venezuela can shut down Dirty Sexy Money?
I can’t believe from reading all these comments how the companies have brainwashed these viewers. I make it a point to NEVER purchase any product placed on a show. If product placement has this much impact on viewers I think its time for Congress to intervene. Where is this going to end? If just seeing products on a television show can effect the buying habits of the viewing public, will we next see corporations trying to impact elections from television shows?
I can’t believe from reading all these comments how the companies have brainwashed these viewers. I make it a point to NEVER purchase any product placed on a show. If product placement has this much impact on viewers I think its time for Congress to intervene. Where is this going to end? If just seeing products on a television show can effect the buying habits of the viewing public, will we next see corporations trying to impact elections from television shows?
How about a Walther .32 PPK (James Bond)or a S & W .44 (Dirty Harry)or a Beretta 92S 9 mm (Lethal Weapon)
Verizon Wireless from 30 Rock and Drake’s Coffee Cakes (yummmers). I also wish I could find the “Scrantonicty” album.
Sara Cole, if everyone was brainwashed they wouldn’t be aware that they were buying stuff because they saw it in a TV Show. I don’t think Congress needs to step in.
I don’t think I’ve ever wanted something because it was in a TV show, at least not anything that actually exists. In fact, the only bit of advertising in “I Am Legend” that worked on me was the poster for the Batman-Superman movie. (Someone PLEASE tell me they are going to make that movie.)
So maybe no one will care about what I think works but I do know what doesn’t work: obvious product placement in scripted shows. S is dead on about Smallville. ALL of their product placement is horribly jarring and annoying. On a scripted show the product placement it shouldn’t be obvious that the show is trying to sell something. It should make sense that the character would use the product.
Reality shows can be obvious as long as the product is relevant. Kennmore for Top Chef makes sense but not Visa for What Not to Wear.
A little off topic, but the best product placement of all time was in the movie Return of the Killer Tomatoes, with (a very young) George Clooney. In fact, the product placement is really the only funny joke in the movie. But it is very funny. Just watch the part where Clooney eats the candy bar.
I love the episode of Seinfeld where they mention Snapple like 3 times in a minute.
The Verizon gag on 30 Rock was about the best a placement could be! No real product on screen and Tina Fey’s delivery were perfect. And Snapple was first done in the 90’s on Seinfeld.
I second Sandra on Arrested Development. And now, I skipped breakfast so I’m off to Burger King. *jumps over shark*
I normally don’t eat at Chili’s, but I gave it a second chance after seeing it on the office. The food was still gross–maybe Chili’s is better in New Jersey–but now I want to take a Sandals vacation in Jamaica!
My friends and I make fun of the blatant product placement on The Biggest Loser. But I’m embarrassed to admit I bought those Ziploc Zip ‘N’ Steam baggies because of the show.
If I have to hear one more character on Heroes mention a Nissan, I’ll scream.