People have gotten more and more tired and frustrated by all the commercial breaks in the shows they are watching, the little pop-ups on the screen while the show is on is no less annoying.
Commercial breaks become bathroom breaks and snack breaks while the pop-ups are summarily ignored as much as possible.
So how does the advertiser get the product in front of an audience without them running for a snack or averting their eyes? Product placement is the answer.
One of the more innovative product placement ploys aired on an episode of 'What I Like About You' a Warner Brothers show that is popular with the young age group of women, has two young women competing for the spot on a new Herbal Essences ad.
Shortly after the competition scene, the station goes to a commercial break and the actual ad featuring the actress airs for the first time.
This is show integration that is so tight it has the audience wondering if it's still the show or an actual commercial and that's all they need to keep the audience in their seat rather than up grabbing a snack.
Ford is hoping to give their new Mustang model a boost by featuring it as part of the plot in the second season of Fox's popular series 'The O.
C'.
The Apprentice will be a vehicle for many advertisers such as Levi's, Mattel, QVC and Crest just to name a few.
Advertisers are hoping to be so nonchalant about product placement that they get right past your conscious annoyance into your subconscious, planting a seed and hopefully prompting a purchase.
More and more the coke can will appear with its label turned forward, hands conveniently away from the name emblazoned on the side.
When cars come into the scene, they will be the newest model and the name badge will be plainly displayed.
Most product placement is pretty subconscious, others are in your face, an example of that is the Mustang that was featured as the new 'Kit' in the short lived 'Knight Rider' series.
The upcoming release of the Corvette Stingray will be featured on the upcoming Transformers movie and will basically be the new car's first real public appearance.
Product placement is here to stay and will in all likelihood become more prevalent and more covert as it becomes less of an experiment and more of a science.
After all, advertisers have to get past the technology that becomes more and more adept at skipping commercials or turning down the sound when they're on, etc.