Product displacement
Product placement is a reality of advertising in today's entertainment industry. It's become so everyday, that much of it passes us by, at least consciously. Occasionally, something comes along that's so unsubtle as to be almost aggressive; but, by and large, product placement goes unnoticed. That's probably when it's most effective, when it's subliminal; but I'm no marketing psychologist.
Advertisers who're dissatisfied with only being able to place products into current films and shows, however, can now turn back time. Through sophisticated video editing, products can be digitally inserted into situations where none existed before, opening up more sources of revenue for content providers.
Personally, I see this in the same light as colourising black and white films or reanimating deceased actors. It's disrespectful to the original artists' creative vision at best, and little short of fraud at worst.
And then it gets really creepy:
Roy Taylor, the chief executive of Californian-based business Ryff, says his firm is taking digital product insertion one stage further. It has developed the technology whereby the product placement is targeted at individuals, and changes depending on who is watching. So if you like wine then the hero of a film could be drinking a particular bottle that you might be tempted to try. Or if you are teetotal the star might be sipping on a bottle of branded water. Ryff can do this if you are watching a film on a laptop, smartphone or smart TV, by tracking what you previously bought or looked at online. It works in the same way that online adverts pop up on websites based on your past purchasing or viewing history.
Jonty Bloom, business reporter, BBC News
Hopefully, privacy software and ad blockers will be updated to nix that, in the same way that they eliminate tracking and online advertising. Otherwise, next time I watch Casablanca Ingrid Bergman could be parading around in a lot less. Come to think of it…(lovedup)
What I find disturbing is the lack of creative moral compass among those who develop and promote such methods. There seems to be no depths of creative sacrilege that the unscrupulous and greedy won't plumb. Just because something can be done, don't they ever stop to consider whether it should be done?
Of course, there's always money. (rolleyes)