I thought I'd bring this into its own thread. I haven't seen GH but I assume it's doing the Campbell's promotional product placement too?

On AMC and OLTL it's gotten ridiculous how EVERY episode has one line. I don't mind seeing the products around--even offering a V8 makes some sense, but saying that your mom always made healthy Campbell's soup, or Natalie saying that Bree ( a 5 year old!) loves Prego Heart Pure Pasa Sauce--the best was Adam saying the same line (is that on youtube? it has to be). If they keep this up I swear I'm going to go insane. I knwo budgets are low but...

They used to often have promotion from Florida Orange Juice but they didn't actually say the brand name when they offered people orange juice...

It can get distracting. But,

product placement = money = survival of soaps

So I'm all for it!

Oh even my mom on the phoen today, who said she hated it, said the same thing ultimately if it helps them last she's all for it

I know it does get annoying, I was talking with a friend the other day on Verizon wireless - America's Largest network with free (yes free) in-calling , and they said they've even seen product placement ads within message board posts

Seriously, I wouldn't mind so much if it would reduce the number of actual commercials that air during soaps, right now it seems like every hour of a soap includes a good 22 minutes or more of commercials.

Daytime tv is allowed a shocking amount of commercial time. Currently a soap opera episode runs something like 36-38 mins? it may even be less. (so if you watcha 30 minute soap you get very little actual programming) This is why if I watch my two soaps back to back zapping through the commercials on video it takes like 80 mins. Primetime shows are about 42 minutes per episode (of course HBO and cable have their shows between 54-60 minutes depending on how long the writers wanna make them--I always think that mut make their job a bit easier to not have to every episode last a set exact amount of time, and Fox this year is trying something new with Fringe and I suspect soon Dollhouse and some other shows--more product placement and featured ads and only 90 minute commercial break meaning each episode is about 50 mins).

Of course 20+ years ago less commercial time was allowed--a 30 minute sitcom from the 70s is about 25 mins without commercials, now it's more like 21-22

In Canada we're still not allowed to have quite that much commercial time for daytime TV so they fill the spot--I know for AMC and OLTL A Channel here runs a 2 minute-2:30 minute "soap's Up segment where a local lady reads fan letters, gossips etc

I think the dialogue about the product is the most awkward, obviously because it diminishes the point of the scene.

I actually take notice when I see REAL products being used around a soap apartment. Soaps always have fake cereals and potato chips that LOOK like real boxes but have part of the name painted over or something. So I always notice more when they are eating REAL Pringles or drinking REAL Pepsi. Do they need to, as part of the deal with the companies, actually TALK about the product? Because I wouldn't mind as much, if at all, if they even just started with a closeup of the actors eating the soup with the can in the middle, and them talking about the normal melodrama they would naturally be talking about. I guess the sponsors could argue that we would be more likely not to notice unless it's spoken about, but it's so awkward that it doesn't make me actually want to buy Prego's Heart Smart Sauce when I hear Adam Chandler say it's all his cook ever uses.

Antonio Vega has some poster in his apartment in spanish for some movie Assassins in Space, or something. Could they also use real movie posters to promote endorsed movies without TALKING about having just gone to see Madagascar 2 and how great it was?! Wasn't Emma lost at a movie theatre on AMC and it was a plug for some disney movie? Can't they use posters in kids or teenagers rooms to do this kind of silent advertising as well?

In Canada we're still not allowed to have quite that much commercial time for daytime TV so they fill the spot--I know for AMC and OLTL A Channel here runs a 2 minute-2:30 minute "soap's Up segment where a local lady reads fan letters, gossips etc

That's interesting. I had no idea that was the reason for the Soap's Up segment.

IMO the best product placement ever was when AMC and Revlon teamed up for an entire storyline, resulting in Greenlee working at Revlon (with Simone, I believe). It did not seem forced at all. There was actual story in Greenlee working for an Enchantment rival, which just happened to be Revlon. (Of course it was a little weird when the deal with Revlon expired and the name of the company Greenlee worked for changed overnight to Giovanni or something like that).

It got even worse today on OLTL. The woman checking the names at the ball suggested that Stacy might steal a lovelygift bag with heart healthy products like that Swanson's Chunk Chicken, so handy to have in the cupboard. WTF?

I read an article in the new TV Guide about a producer from a new show(cant remember which show) and they were talking about how people were complaining about the product placement being too much that it was distracting from the storylines

The producer of that show said it didn't work out the way they planned and they're going to make the product placement a little more subtle in the future.

That's so what ABC needs to do

It got even worse today on OLTL. The woman checking the names at the ball suggested that Stacy might steal a lovelygift bag with heart healthy products like that Swanson's Chunk Chicken, so handy to have in the cupboard. WTF?

I wouldn't put it past OLTL's writers to purposely camp it up at all, though. Mustn't forget their "senses of humor."

If it comes to keeping the soaps on air. I am all for it!

It's the way that things were done in the early years of soaps. So, I have no problem with the whole thing.

I say do it, but don't make it overkill

We actually make a game of how they could HAVE added a Campbell's product to a scene... Like when Blair slapped Tea (awesome, by the way... nobody since Dynasty has done the bitchslaps as well as OLTL)... we figure Blair could have smashed a bottle of Prego on Tea's head and said "It's Chunky Garden Style, bitch."

Edited February 13, 200916 yr by YurSoakinginit

We actually make a game of how they could HAVE added a Campbell's product to a scene... Like when Blair slaped Tea (awesome, by the way... nobody since Dynasty has done the bitchslaps as well as OLTL)... we figure Blair could have smashed a bottle of Prego on Tea's head and said "It's Chunky Garden Style, bitch."

lmao, now thats funny

lmao, now thats funny

LOL... thanks, Cheap. But seriously, if they really want us to buy the products, don't keep telling us how "heart smart" they are... Show us how we can USE them! I'd certainly go out and buy myself some Prego if Blair did that...