Re: Sex in the City WBUR style

["Aaron 'Bishop' Read" <aread@speakeasy.net>]

Doubtful.  There is a whole industry that's sprung up negotiating product 
placement in TV and movies.  We had a demo tape at ITworld showing IDG 
publications placed in various TV shows.  I have to admit it was vastly 
amusing watching Laura San Giacomo reading "CIO" in a subway scene in "Just 
Shoot Me"....God knows whether Laura would actually understand any of the 
articles, but her character in the show sure as hell wouldn't.

The point is, though, that anytime you see a recognizable brand appear on 
TV or a movie, it is not there by accident or by the actor/actress's own 
decision.  Somebody paid for it to be there (usually TV; brand-owners pay 
for the advertising) or got permission for it (usually movies, producers 
ask permission for the brand to get more realism on the set).

I heard a rumor that Hewlett Packard paid six figures to have their logo 
appear for the split-second you see Agent Smith reaching to get Neo before 
the subway car slams into him in The Matrix (logo was on the far wall as if 
it were a subway ad).   By the same token, David Fincher (director) had to 
virtually beg Pepsi to loan him a couple of soda machines to use in various 
scenes of Fight Club (it's mentioned in the director's commentary) since 
they specifically used product placement only in scenes of extreme mischief 
or violence...since the whole movie is about anti-consumerism.

- Aaron

At 12:43 PM 1/22/2002 -0500, Dave Faneuf wrote:
>On Tue, 22 Jan 2002 01:33:23 -0500 "Aaron 'Bishop' Read"
><aread@speakeasy.net> writes:
> > There are some BU grads working as producers on that show I believe.
> > But I'm surprised they'd do that...putting a distinctly Boston 
> advertisement
> > into a New York-themed show.  Esp. when New York already has a
> > strong public radio presence.
> >
> > I wonder if this is a case of advertising in specific areas.
>
>After thinking about the possibilities I recall that Sara Jessica Parker
>was a guest of Terri Gross on a live taping of Fresh Air on Martha's
>Vineyard that was sponsored by WBUR.  Perhaps that's where she got the
>tote bag.
>df

______________________________________________
Aaron "Bishop" Read       aread@speakeasy.net
Fried Bagels Consulting   www.friedbagels.com
12 Walnut St. / Waltham, MA / 02453