I’ll Have A “P” Please Bob

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You might be seeing the image above – or an inverted version – quite a bit on TV in the coming months. Ofcom has announced that it’s to be shown when a programme has accepted product placement. You’ll get at least three seconds of it at the start and end of the programme, as well as coming out of any ad breaks.
The question is whether or not it’ll impact on viewers to any great extent. Will viewers think less of programmes that take it. As I understand it, it’ll probably limited to light entertainment to begin with as ITV steps carefully before everyone on Coronation Street stops drinking Newton & Ridley and starts drinking London Pride instead. Can you imagine?
And will ITV2 un-blur those Coke glasses on American Idol? Or will that be dependent on whether Coca-Cola UK stumps up for the privilige?
It’ll also be interesting to see how channels cope with it when they minimise or squeeze their credits and are busy trailing the next show instead. Will the “P” be lost in the mix? We’ll have to wait and see.


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2 responses to “I’ll Have A “P” Please Bob”

  1. David Jones avatar
    David Jones

    Ah, though, it’s quite likely we won’t see either of your examples come to pass. Alcohol and drinks high in sugar are two of the categories banned from product placement.

  2. Adam Bowie avatar

    You’re quite right!
    Maybe they can CGI ‘Diet Coke’ over the top of those Coke beakers?
    I do find it interesting that Coke gets blurred out of imported television, whereas other examples of product placement in dramas or films, gets broadcast without editing. And that was under the old Product Placement rules.