It's also on the rise in computer games. As people watch less TV, advertisers have had to adapt to the stuff they do look at - so more aggressive product placement in films and games. There's big money involved http://www.emainc.org/web/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=129&Itemid=2
Someone needs to seriously stand up to this shift towards product placement, quickly. It's rapidly becoming a common place in video games, an industry where there is absolutely no benefit (financial or otherwise) to the consumer whatsoever. Take the recent game Fight Night Round 3 on the Xbox 360, it's level of product placement is unheard of, it even features Burger King's 'The King' as your manager. All this in a game which has an astronomical MRRP of £50 ($60). I cannot speak of other mediums (as each one has their own business model) however if the video games industry insists on this level of intrusive advertising then they must start offering alternates of each game. One with a reduced price - pumped full of adverts - and another 'clean' version at a reasonable MRRP.
I can understand some product placement in some games (like sports etc) and putting real products in situations where they would be found in real life. Blatant product placement is just annoying and ruins games.
I concur. I like to think that I am bright enough to be able to make a conscious choice in the stuff I buy. Else I might as well sue MacDonalds for being obese.
But then pirates would only P2P the 'clean' version - this way it's reality marketing. I hear Win Vista will have subliminal adverts, updated by so-called 'security' fixes.
