Product Placement on MTV

The Dream Teams Blog

Product Placement — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:53:26 +0000

This blog will look into various programs that air on the cable network MTV, and attempt to analyze the relationship between the product placements that they choose and the lifestyle that is promoted by the programming.

Cable Product placements decline 8% in the first half of 2008

dreamteam44 — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:03:12 +0000

According to Neilson Media.com, cable networks have shown a decline in product placements in the first half of 2008. Programs that air on MTV took the 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th, on a list of ten cable television programs that had used the most product placements. Of the MTV programs the one that had shown the most was Rob and Big, a reality show that documents the lives of a professional skateboarder (Rob DyrdeK), and his gigantic (live in) body guard (known as Big Black). In watching clips of this program it seems that this program is so littered with product placements (8,604 in the first quarter of 2008) that the sole purpose of the program is to promote DC shoes, Monster energy drinks, and other items that young people might be interested in. Coming in 6th 7th and 8th on the list are “Real World Road Rules Challenge” with 5,504 product placements ,”Making the Band 4″ with 5,330, followed by ”Americas Best Dance Crew” with 4,899. The site also explained that among the all the categories of products that were placed within these programs apparel was the category that received the most product placements.

I believe that this drop in product placements is largely due to our damaged economy. Perhaps cable television viewers have become less responsive to product placements. I know that when I watch television that I can only notice product placements when they show the actual brand name, beyond that I have no idea how people can tell what products are being used on their favorite cable shows.

source:http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/portal/site/Public/menuitem.55dc65b4a7d5adff3f65936147a062a0/?allRmCB=on&newSearch=yes&vgnextoid=6f2c5fcf6756c110VgnVCM100000ac0a260aRCRD&searchBox=one%2Btree%2Bhill

My Super Sweet 16

Product Placement — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 09:22:32 +0000

Ever watched a show called Super Sweet 16? It is a show that portrays young teenagers having outrageously expensive birthday parties. From huge black and white parties to the teens arriving to their party on horses or stretched out limos. This show influences young people that material things are more important then to just simply be grateful for the life that they have. This series is all about having the best products. It is a competition and the more expensive your party was the better it was. It’s all about who has the better products, themes, guests who show up, performers and presents.

source: http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/sweet_16/series.jhtml

Advertisement in Music Videos

dreamteam44 — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:43:52 +0000

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Photo: J Records

Does anybody remember the days when one actually had to be a talented musician or MC to get his or her music played on MTV? It really wasn’t that long ago, now days one can control the opinion of an entire generation simply by executing the right marketing tactic. According to Gill Kauffman of MTV.com, being mentioned in the right song can spell big profits for shoes, cars and liquor. It seems that you cant put in a CD of your favorite rapper these days without hearing about his Nike Air Force Ones, or the brand diamond encrusted rims he put on his hummer. Hip-hop has always been filled with shout outs to ones favorite sneakers and drinks, and not always for the sheer sake of boosting profits of the companies whom manufacture them. However, since this genre of music has become so popular in America, this notion has been greatly taken advantage of. For example, in the new hit song performed by Busta Rhymes, entitled “pass the Courvoisier”, which helped Courvoisier’s parent company achieve a promotional deal with Busta Rhymes, as well as boosting their profits exponentially. Many other popular rap artists have signed contracts with shoe companies ect. in order to place their name on a product, and many of them have proven to sell extremely well. For example Jay-Z’s S.Carter shoe which was the first time Reebok signed a contract with a celebrity other than an athlete that sold quicker than any other shoe in Reebok’s history. Is this attitude selling out? Many would say its simply buying into what is an incredibly successful marketing tactic. If the people that are meant to be envied by all who watch television are doing it, then it must be the cool thing to do. MTV has morphed into a network that is solely for advertisement, weather its on a commercial (which is probably the least effective form since now we can buy tivo and fast forward through them), or in the next big music video that premiers.

source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1472393/20030606/p_diddy.jhtml?headlines=true

Is MTV selling youth its identity?

Product Placement — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:22:11 +0000

MTV is one of today’s most popular channels for today’s youth, such as teens. Why is this? Is it because today’s youth is searching for its identity within society and MTV’s programs has the answers? Or is it simply because MTV can identify with today’s youth?

Do individuals make MTV and its programming what it is today? Or does MTV and its programming make the individuals? If its viewers take a glance in the mirror and realize that they have become a walking billboard then there is a couple points that are certain. Not only does MTV munipulate its viewers into buying into what it advertises, but it also sells its viewers an image.

Material things are a big part of what is being layed on the viewer. Do you really like the brand of shoes that you’re wearing or are you wearing them because you saw Lauren Conrad, on MTV’s popular show THE HILLS, wearing them? Are you wearing that shirt because you like it, or because you saw it on an episode, of MTV’s, Rob and Big?

Is this the you that YOU want to be or is this the you that MTV wants you to be?

Jackass

Product Placement — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:52:28 +0000

Jackass, a MTV reality show, consists of a group of grown men that take part in crazy and obscene activites. As its televised they promote to a young audience, most commonly teeage boys, that getting hurt is “fun.” As a result, their targeted audience finds it amusing to reenact the television program: thus, beoming a product of the reality show.

source: http://www.tv.com/jackass/show/7848/summary.html

Music Television

Product Placement — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 23:51:21 +0000

It seems that the once harmless “Music Television” network that began in the 80′s has been transformed into a Viacom owned advertising monster. The network was launched in 1981 with the sole purpose of airing music videos on television which would be hosted by a “VJ” 24 hours a day. Today, there are less than three hours of music videos played per day on MTV. The majority of the networks programming is now taken up by reality shows that are generally scripted and represent in no way shape or form any real life situations. MTV has however, come up with some pretty clever methods to tell their viewers what to buy and to desire some kind of fantasy lifestyle that doesn’t really exist.

Millions are put towards advertisement on MTV, for example one new method of displaying commercials during their programming is to split the television screen in half so they may display their programming in one side of the screen and the commercial on the other side of the screen. This way the viewer won’t change the channel during the advertisement. Another technique that MTV uses is the advertisement of products through the personalities of the celebrities that are shown on their programming. One perfect example is the series called “The Hills” which has been the most widely viewed program that MTV has ever produced, and generated 4.3 million in ad revenue. Advertisers can slip their products into this program without having to pay for a time slot to insert a commercial. When the mainly teenage female audience sees their favorite character using a certain product on the show that they know they can go out and buy, they are much more likely to purchase that product than they would had they seen it on a regular advertisement.

photo taken from nytimes.com

sources:1. http://video.forbes.com/fvn/lifestyle/lr_buzz081408

2. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/business/media/08mtv.html?ref=business

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MTV

Product Placement — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:29:12 +0000

This blog will look into various progrmas that air on the cable network MTV, and attempt to analyze whether or not the false images of social acceptance that are prepetuated, as well as the product placements that are used have an effect on the behavior of its viewers. We will look at the ratings of the Spring Break Special, Jackass, Cribs and The Hills as well as surveys conduceted on MTV’s programming regarding product placement and approval ratings.

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