This document discusses product placement in television and movies. It defines product placement as companies paying producers to feature their products. While most placements are benign, some can be inappropriate if they violate rules or take advantage of viewers. The document examines why placements are used and regulations around transparency and natural integration. It also discusses ethical perspectives like the TARES test and Kantian ethics. The specific example of an Apple logo placement on the BBC show Spooks is used to argue some placements can breach viewer trust and rules if cash or favors are accepted.

1. Case Study 3-F
WAS THAT AN APPLE COMPUTER I JUST SAW? A COMPARISON OF
PRODUCT PLACEMENT IN THE U.S. NETWORK TELEVISION AND ABROAD

2. What is product placement?
 Product placement is the act of companies paying television and movie
producers to put their products in their programs in order to gain more
exposure for the item or service.
 For example, if you were to watch an episode of Law and Order and notice
that one of the characters drinking a Coca-Cola or driving around in a
BMW, that would be an example of product placement.
 It is also referred to as brand integration and has been an effective form of
advertising for a couple of years now.

3. Is product placement ethical?
 For the most part, product placement is a very benign way to get exposure
for a company.
 However there have been times where it has been used inappropriately.
 For this case study there is a story about a BBC show called Spooks where
after an Apple logo appeared on the show and the show was accused of
accepting money and favors for this particular product placement.
(Patterson, 2014, pg. 73-75)
 This violated BBC’s rules and the logo was subsequently taken out.

4. Why use brand integration?
 Many producers argue that in order to make their programs feel more
realistic, then the obvious solution is to use brand integration. (Patterson,
2014, pg. 74)
 This helps the viewer feel more involved in the program, although some
think that there is not enough done to make these promotions fair.
(Patterson, 2014, pg. 74)
 Many of the creators of these shows and movies want brand integration
and product placement to be more the choice of the creators themselves
and they also would like a share when writing a product into the story line.
(Patterson, 2014, pg. 74)
 In order to create a successful product placement advertisement, the
product in question must be integrated in a way that is natural, and fluid.
(Patterson, 2014, pg. 75)

7. Comparing the previous examples
 So why is it that Wayne’s World’s use of product placement is more
acceptable than the use found in The Wizard?
 1. People should not pay to go see a 2 hour long commercial for
Nintendo when they were expecting to see a legitimate movie.
 2. Wayne’s World did not focus the entire movie on brands as The Wizard
did, it simply highlighted the premise in a brief joke and then moved on.
 3. The Wizard was not transparent and open about its true goal, blatant
promotion, where Wayne’s World was up-front about joking about
product placement.

8. The FCC and product placement
 In order to ensure that product placement is used legally and not to take
advantage of viewers, the FCC has in place some guidelines.
 First, if any individual involved in any capacity profits both directly and
indirectly from an instance of brand integration, they must be transparent
and tell the viewers on the air. If not they can be subject to penalties.
(Cicelski, P. A., 2010)
 Also, producers of the shows must disclose that they have a pre-
established deal with a brand to the broadcasters. This allows the
broadcasters to integrate in the appropriate brand disclosures. (Cicelski, P.
A., 2010)

9. The TARES Test and product
placement
 In the book there is a test for advertisements called the TARES Test. It is
comprised of five different questions in order to legitimize an
advertisement and determine if it is ethically made or not.
 1. Are the ad claims Truthful?
 2. Is the claim an Authentic one?
 3. Does the ad treat the receiver with Respect?
 4. Is there Equity between the sender and the receiver?
 5. Is the ad Socially Responsible? (Paterson & Wilkins, 2014, pg. 57 )
 Using these questions can help us determine if any advertisement,
including subtle product placement, is ethical.

10. What would Immanuel Kant have to
say about product placement?
 Immanuel Kant believed that consequences did not determine an action’s
right or wrongness, but whether or not they fulfill the duty for us. (Kantian
Ethics ,n.d.)
 As far as product placement goes, as long as an item or service does the
same thing in the show as it will when we use it, it is ethical.
 It is important to note though, that a company can still fulfill what is
expected of them and take advantage of their viewers.

11. Was the Spooks example ethical?
 After going over what is and is not ethical, the example the case study
gives would certainly be considered unethical.
 If the allegations that were brought up were true about the show taking
cash and favors, then it would be a blatant breach of viewer trust, but even
the act of not crediting Apple with their logo is grounds for unethical
behavior.
 In order to stay in good standings with the viewing public, rules must be
followed so that viewers and production experts are not taken advantage
of through big corporations.

12. Sources:
 Cicelski, P. A. (2010, September 02). Product Placement and the FCC.
Retrieved June 25, 2016, from
http://www.commlawcenter.com/2010/09/product-placement-and-
the-fcc.html
 Patterson, P., & Wilkins, L. (2014). Media Ethics: Issues and
Cases (Eighth ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
 Kantian Ethics. (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2016, from
http://www.csus.edu/indiv/g/gaskilld/ethics/kantian ethics.htm