It was in this posting by Wired magazine, that I found out about paid product placement in song lyrics. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve seen it everywhere else. I guess it was just a matter of time until artists were being paid to purposely write about products in their songs (as opposed to doing it just because they wanted to sing about a product and its place in their lives or popular culture).
At a certain level, I am opposed to product placement because it turns my world into a garish advertisement. We are already continuously bombarded by advertising on television, radio, print media, while traveling, going to concerts, sporting events, and movies.
At another level, I have to admit that product placement in song lyrics is a clever advertising ploy. Admittedly, it logically follows from product placement in movies and television shows. However, it does tap into a previously untapped resource.
I’ll also admit to not being as annoyed to product placement in television and movies if it is subtle product placement (as opposed to athletes being papered in their sponsor’s brands). Just this week, my partner and I had an in-depth discussion of product placement in the new Mad Men episode and the degree to which the Mad Men producers paid the product company for the privilege of focusing the show on the product or if it was the other way around.
I only hope that this type of advertising remains subtle. Alas, I suspect that it will not and will become as annoying and pernicious as traditional commercial advertising as people become as immune to the influence of product placement as they are to commercials.