Let's Take A Drive Down Madison and Vine - How Does Product Placement Sneak It's Way Into Our Favorite Shows and Movies?

The very second we open up our phones or turn on our Tv screens, we are immediately bombarded by advertisements. While there have been hundreds of softwares developed to in a sense, "cancel out" all of this disruptions, advertisements and marketing always seem to work their way back onto our screens. What exactly makes these advertisements inescapable? Two words: Product Placement. 

Marketing companies and brands are constantly working to help publicize their products, in hope of being seen, and then desired, by as many consumers as possible. It is fair to say that advertisements are what often funds the programs that we view on a daily basis. However, because it is becoming easier to ignore or fast forward through these adds, companies have sought out to make their products not only noticed, but remembered. 

By combining the advertising industry with the exploitation of Hollywood, brands are able to reach a wide audience of consumers from every background imaginable. From red carpets to sporting events, holiday parades, and even news reports, advertisements have become a main part of all of the material we view nowadays. I have seen product placement in all of the billions of Tv shows, movies, and YouTube videos that I have viewed for as long as I can remember. Some popular television shows have made an effort to decrease the advertising of products in their content, such as in one of my childhood favorite shows, iCarly. Apple products and smartphones in general were growing in popularity during this time, and the show made the decision to have characters go crazy over the new "Pear Pod," in an attempted spoof of the Apple iPod. Other companies have decided to work in collaboration with big product companies, in order to help fund their projects and or creative adventures. Most recently, while watching the new Avengers Endgame movie, I had noticed that there were many scenes where the shots included glorious pictures of an Audi, which is an expensive and brand-name car. This was not the only example I had seen in the movie, but it had stood out to me the most, because of how conveniently it was used. 

Overall, I think that marketing companies are quite clever in a sense that they have found and created the best ways to maximize profits by working with well known media sources to further promote their products. Seeing how advertisements have been increasingly unavoidable throughout our everyday lives, I believe that these industries have made a smart decision in utilizing their platforms for the greatest outreach possible.While I do think that these constant advertisements are rather annoying, I respect the effort made by brands to really push their products and get their content stuck in the minds of consumers. It is a tuff game to play, constantly competing with millions of other similar brands. The determination and persistence brands have when it comes to advertising is impeccable, and I have no doubt that there is only more to come in the near future.