Veronica Majerol wants the reader to
be aware that there is more to advertising than just the ones on TV and that
advertisers are getting more and more creative to make their products known. “Typically,
when people view a commercial that they know is a commercial, they employ a
veil of skepticism,” says Corie Wright at Free Press, a nonprofit organization
that works to educate consumers about media. But “product placement tends to
shape viewers’ preferences even [when] the viewer isn’t aware they’ve seen a
commercial.” Majerol uses some interesting craft moves to convey this message.
The first thing I noticed was that she uses many examples to support her
message that would interest the reader such as one of Lady Gaga’s hit music
videos. She also included quotes that supported her message. My favorite quote
she added was, “We want to blur the lines between the commercial breaks and the
entertainment content,” says Dario Spina, who handles “integrated marketing”
for Comedy Central, Spike, and MTV’s other entertainment channels. The reason
why I love this quote so much is because it basically just summed up what the
entire article was about. It’s also something you can have an opinion on but
you can’t really disagree with it…
As I mentioned earlier, “advertainment”
is something I have been wondering about and this article has definitely shaped
my opinion. What I took away from this article is that advertisers are sneaky
tricksters and often advertise their product without you even realizing something
is being advertised! I think Majerol is right about this and I also think that
the reason why people don’t realize a product is being advertised while playing a video game,
for example, is because people get so caught up in the video game that they don’t
really notice what's being advertised--well they see the product obviously, but don't realize that advertisers paid to put it there on purpose. I think this is a really interesting article
and definitely worth reading! Here’s the link: http://upfront.scholastic.com/resource/uploads_upfront/Issues/021813/UPF-021813-ProductPlacement011011.pdf
So, what are your thoughts and opinions?
Hey Sophie! I really never thought about how this is a growing thing. You don't really think about how ads are incorporated into your daily TV shows. They're subtle and less noticeable than regular ads. Also, with many TV characters you might admire, you might be encouraged to buy product that are used by stars that you admire. Like, "If she uses this, then it must be pretty good." I feel almost tricked by these things. They just seem sneaky.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I think that advertisement is very sneaky, and always has been. It is used to get people to buy a product, and companies will go to any lengths in order for that to happen. They prey on children and adults by mixing ads with people they admire, so that you inadvertently think that "this is better because so-and-so uses it." I personally find it a little scary that what many people look forward to about the Super Bowl is the advertisements that come with it. I guess that just shows how desperate advertisers are, and how controlling. They seem to be brainwashing the world of TV-watchers with their Advertainment. Again, great post!
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