Over the past 10 years TV/movie product placement skyrocketed mainly due to one handy device, and thanks to this device TV watching is made easy and convenient, but at the cost of seeing a mac on every desk and a ford on every road (in screen) – The TiVo. The convenience of TiVo (largely in the US), which the marketing campaign was based on “to skip commercials”. Network station grew worried for ad space value may drop due to the lack of people being forced to watch ads between shows. This made networks focus into marketing through the methods of product placement much more.

Obviously I don’t have to mention who’s the major king pins of utilising product placement as a predominant method of advertising over the past years.

Creative Product Placements

Especially in TV, shows have the capacity to spend minutes or sometimes up to an entire episode dedicated on their major sponsor. Therefore have the freedom to be more creative with their product placement. Such as 30 Rock, who often make jokes at the expense or praise their sponsor.  From Cisco, Apple to even Snapple.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGx3PBdb4f8]

Well the 83^rd Annual Academy Awards is finally over and what can you say about Hollywood’s night of nights? In a word, predictable. Lets face it this was one year that most of the major awards could be worked out back in January. The big winner this time round was undoubtedly The King’s Speech (I’m going to get tired of typing that title so from hear on The King’s Speech will be referred to as TKS) [..]

Speaking of unnecessary have you heard the news? There are going to be more Toy Story films. Tim Allen let it slip that he’s contracted for at least one more film. I don’t think so Tim (if you got that reference you should be ashamed). I don’t know how to feel about this. I mean I love all three Toy Story films but I think most people would agree that the third movie was a perfect bookend to the series. Don’t get me wrong, no one gives me Woody like Pixar, I’d just hate to see them beat this franchise to death. I guess now Disney is running things, Pixar has to churn out sequels like everybody else, to help keep the severed head of Walt alive.

For starters we’re going to see a couple of Toy Story short films this year. The first of which will be run at the beginning of Cars 2, at the moment it’s simply call Hawaii and there is even already a snippet available (see below). There is also rumored to be another short to be presented with the new Muppet movie in November. All that and a forth feature! What do you think? Should we be excited to see Anddy’s/Bonnie’s toys again? Or should we have let them all burn at the end of three?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uFTMcL0v64]

Ever blamed the internet for your lack of productivity? I feel you. Often I get distracted by that little browser icon on the bottom of my screen, feeling the need to feed myself with status updates such as “TFIF” or “beach!” (jesus why do i go on facebook..) or learning what my favourite celebrities are doing (why!?).  It’s a very frustrating thing when the machine you need to do most if not all of your work is the very same when you want to kill time with.  I decided to do something about this.

[..]

There have been talks regarding the 2011 Academy Awards and it’s slight drop in ratings this year compared to the past years. Personally I felt Anne Hathaway did a very nice job, and as much as I like James Franco as an actor, the two didn’t deliver more in a comedic sense.

Academy President Tom Sherak stated “The problem is, in the past when you have a comic, that comic can play off what happens on the show. … I think that was missing. I think they were doing their job. Franco is a very charming guy, but sometimes you need a comic to make fun of things.”

I agree. And 50bucks says they’re giving Ricky Gervais a call next year.  Saying that based on the sharp raise in ratings on the night of the Globes when Gervais hosted for the second time and were apparently hated for by many of the public. He still manage to get an offer to host the Globes for the third time next year (which he refused).  So for the Oscars, my money’s on Gervais hosting.

Year after year of “Hollywood greats” jerking each other off has to stop some time. Not literally unfortunately.

Cool article on this at Studio Briefing