When watching a TV show, have you ever felt like you were watching a really long commercial? If so, then you've been the victim of bad product placement. Product placement (PP) is not quite as widespread in TV land as it is in the movies, but it is a rapidly growing industry. There's certainly a line that can be crossed when presenting brand-name items as props within the context of a show. Clever marketing execs try never to cross that line. They want their products to be visible within a scene, but not the focus. The product needs to fit, almost seamlessly (almost being the key word here) into the shot and context of the scene.

Before product placement really saw a surge in the mid 1980s, it was pretty much a DIY effort. Now there are specific corporate positions and entire agencies that can handle the job. Some larger corporations will dedicate personnel to scout out opportunities for product integration or placement within shows.

The practice has been challenged by several groups. In 2005, the nonprofit advocacy group Commercial Alert asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to regulate product placement; their request was denied.

The same year, Hollywood writers and actors complained that "placement practices hurt their artistic integrity and that they aren't paid for helping to sell the products placed in movies and TV shows." The Writers Guild Of America and the Screen Actors Guild Of America urged "disclosure at the beginning of each movie and TV program of the advertising that has been woven into the script" and "limits on the use of such advertising in children's programming." The guilds said if the network and studio executives wouldn't negotiate, they would bring their concerns to the Federal Communications Commission.

In April 2006, Broadcasting & Cable reported, "Two thirds of advertisers employ 'branded entertainment'--product placement--with the vast majority of that (80%) in commercial TV programming." In that same interview, FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said product placement "is permissible, so long as it is disclosed," but that the FCC "could be more aggressive in monitoring the material that goes out. But given that we are not set up as an investigatory agency, we're going to rely heavily on outsiders to provide us information."

When done correctly, product placement can add a sense of realism to a show that something like a can simply marked "soda" cannot.

When poorly-executed, it can be jarring. One of the worst product placements to date on TV was on the useless, crap-filled CSI: NY. In 2005, a detective's cell phone suddenly began playing "Talk" by Coldplay. He then turned to his partner and said something like, "Hey, that's my new Cingular ringtone." Not surprisingly, the next commercial was about how viewers were offered a chance to buy the very same ringtone.

Nielsen Product Placement conducted research, and after quizzing more that 10,000 people about 50 shows and 199 brands, released a study in early November 2006. The results: Combining a product placement with a commercial might increase your brand recognition, but consumers don't necessarily like it. Your brand recognition among viewers goes from zero to 39.8% simply by having a product placement in a show. A commercial will drive it up to 46.6%. But buy both and recognition rises to 57.5%, according to Nielsen.

Revlon made the jump from advertiser to character when All Myc Children's (AMC) staff conceived the idea and took it to Revlon, which jumped on board. In return for becoming a three month SL, Revlon agreed to spend several million dollars in advertising on AMC, and put up with being called "vultures" by Erica Kane. The SL was about Revlon, Enchantment's biggest competitor, trying to hire away Greenlee DuPres Smythe. The Young And The Restless' Abby Carlton gave a Chico bag to her mom, Ashley Abbott, on Mother's Day 2006.

Product placement is a very slippery slope, and must always be kept in check to prevent excessive advertising. The execs of American Idol live & die by product placement (#1 for TV PP in 2006), but then again, they sold their souls for the price of the almighty dollar. How foolish!!!!!