Taking a page from American Idol's playbook, I see where the FOX affiliate's morning news show in Las Vegas is putting two cups of (branded) McDonald's iced coffee drinks on the anchors' desks. According to one critic:
"Expanding this into news raises very troubling questions. Viewers, when they see news programs, are expecting to see things that reflect the marriage of the things reported, and do not look in the credits of these programs to see if there's some small disclaimer that people are being paid for product placements."
I think product placement/integration, when done well, not only enhances a show, but provides a quality solution to advertisers in light of the declining value of a 30-second spot and overall fragmented media consumption.
As it stands, I feel the FCC's concerns are unfounded, however the crossover of placement into news broadcasts can create backlash. I do believe there are some lifestyle-oriented segments of newscasts where placement could be relevant, but it has to be done right.
In this case, the McDonald's example in this article is a poorly-executed placement deal. Without any interaction with the hosts or mention of the coffee it comes across as contrived and fails to serve the purpose of implied endorsement.
In regards to awareness, research re: American Idol/Coke show that audiences take initial notice of the cup, but it quickly becomes invisible to the viewer in it' static position. Placements like this only serve to exacerbate the issues the FCC has and I doubt they have much positive impact for the brand. -- MF
