I've never been a fan of American Idol; but every time I have seen the show in passing its hard to miss those red cups, carefully placed in front of the judges each week. What is the reasoning for this placement? Naturally the reasoning is advertisement. The reason is very specific, to get viewers to buy Coca-Cola's product. American Idol is a popular series with a great deal of air time and a large quantity of viewers week after week. American Idol has proved to be a successful series and taken Coca-Cola along for the ride. Companies have realized that more subtle approaches to advertisement have a greater influence on consumers. One hour of prime time television contains on average 36 percent commercials (www.marketingcharts.com). I know when watching television I usually record a show first, therefore making it possible to fast forward through the commercials. If possible I will take every opportunity to avoid watching a commercial. Large companies have realized this resistance to obvious advertisement and have taken a more subtle approach, with strategic product placement. Product Placement is when a company who provides advertising dollars to a show, requires their product or logo to be placed within the show for viewers to see. Product placements sole purpose to is sell a product or make a viewer interested in a product in a subtle way. In most cases, product placement adds nothing to the story line or to the development of the characters within the series.
Those red Coca-Cola cups are an example of product placement. Coca-Cola is hoping that viewers of American Idol will notice those Coca-Cola cups each week and in turn buy their product. So are the judges of American Idol always thirsty while on air? Maybe the answer is yes. What are they drinking? Perhaps one of the wide variety of Coca-Cola products out there, perhaps water, or maybe as controversial as it might seem even Pepsi (gasp). But that's not the point, Coca-Cola doesn't exactly care what they are drinking, as long as they are drinking from their cup, displaying to viewers that American Idol judges support Coca-Cola, and perhaps you should too.
Picture taken from www.idolator.com
While flipping through TV Guide Magazine at the doctor's office the other day, I saw a blurb about "The X Factor", which is basically a re-vamped "American Idol" on another network. Two of the four judges are Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul. The photo published was the four judges at the table with Pepsi cups in front of them. It's like when the two iconic judges and personalities made the leap to a new show and a new network, they also changed loyalties to another carbonated beverage. TV critics are predicting better ratings and better acts on "The X Factor". Pepsi made the right move to go to the new, hip, better show because they're advertising campaign always revolves around how Pepsi is cooler and better than Coke. In reality the networks, the shows, the product placement, and the products themselves are just regurgitated. Originality is dead, but consumers still fall for it.
ReplyDeleteThis post is really interesting! It makes it even more clear that advertisers have a hidden agenda! Like you said, viewers will do whatever they can to avoid watching a commercial, either by going to the bathroom, or just DVR-ing the show, and fast-forward the show entirely. I feel as hard as the advertisers try to be subtle, placing those red cups is more of an annoyance than anything else! I feel like I have to go have a can of Pepsi, just to spite the Coca-Cola company!
ReplyDelete