Should Product Placement be Regulated

Should Product Placement be regulated?
“A product placement is defined as “a paid product message aimed at influencing movie (or television) audiences via the planned and unobtrusive entry of a branded product into a movie” (Matthes, J.; Wirth, W.; Schemer, C.; Kissling, A., 2011a, para. 1). Product placement is basically used for directors to afford their films. Most people feel that product placement should be controlled because of the influence it has on an individual. Let’s discuss how product placement is used and how it is bad.
I have been told that the only way to understand Product Placement is to know how it works first. “Today, product placements appear in music videos (Schemer et al. 2008), novels (Brennan 2008), television shows (Law and Braun 2000; Matthes, Schemer, and Wirth 2007), movies (d’Astous and Chartier 2000; Gupta and Lord 1998), video games (Nelson 2002), and even in new mediums such as the online virtual world Second Life” (Matthes, J.; Wirth, W.; Schemer, C.; Kissling, A., 2011, para. 2, b). A perfect example of how product placement works is in the movie Cast Away. Throughout the movie Fed-Ex is being used. The simple sight of seeing the logo on a truck, or the beginning part where all they talk about is Fed-Ex. Companies are having a hard time getting their advertisements out because people have so many ways to ignore it. Just for example on my TV we can fast forward through all of the commercials. These advertisements on TV also only reaches so many people because an average person only watches TV for so many hours a day. So they are putting product placement more and more in movies to help get product out there.
Now knowing a little about how product placement works we can discuss ways that product placement is bad and can influence our society. Smoking in movies has always been an issue and continues to be, because it make it desirable to the human eye. “Movie smoking is presented as adult behavior. Exposure to movie smoking makes viewers' attitudes and beliefs about smoking and smokers more favorable and has a dose-response relationship with adolescent smoking behavior. Parental restrictions on R-rated movies significantly reduces youth exposure to movie smoking and subsequent smoking uptake. Beginning in 2002, the total amount of smoking in movies was greater in youth-rated (G/PG/PG-13) films than adult-rated (R) films, significantly increasing adolescent exposure to movie smoking. Viewing antismoking advertisements before viewing movie smoking seems to blunt the stimulating effects of movie smoking on adolescent smoking” (Charlesworth A. ; Glantz SA, 2005, para 1).
Smoking advertisements have been banned from so much. They have still been able to get through to kids and adults by famous people in movies, TV shows, and even school magazines. Product placement of cigarette companies still find their way to influence an individual. “In 2003, Philip Morris, RJR, Brown & Williamson and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco were caught running ads in school editions (for students to read) of Time, Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report” (TobaccoFreeCA, n.d. para 6, b). There is some good for them to be helping keep kids from this but companies just keep making their way through these loopholes.
Of course people and their children still see these advertisings in magazines. Every year they still find a way to influence our world. “In 1998, the tobacco industry signed the Master Settlement Agreement, vowing to stop targeting youth. However, in 1999, Marlboro, Camel and Newport increased their advertising in youth-oriented magazines. Ads for these three brands were seen by over 80 percent of youth an average of 17 times a year” (TobaccoFreeCA, n.d. para 5, a).
Articles say that when there is smoking in a PG-13 movie then they just make sure that the actor/actress is not the ones that are admired from the audience. Apparently this is supposed to prevent the kids from not trying it. I feel that just because those actors/actresses are on TV then they may admire them even if they are not a big time movie star. Another way to look at this that many parents let their kids watch movies that are not PG-13, which means that they may be seeing the smoking on TV. I feel that either it should be banned from TV all together or it might as well be on the PG-13 movies. “While the tobacco industry agreed to stop paying for tobacco product placement in movies, cigarettes still appear in far too many youth-rated movies” (TobaccoFreeCA, n.d., para 2, c).
When you are watching a movie you see these celebrities to be very desirable because they seem so perfect. When I was younger I always seen these beautiful people on screen smoking and I felt that I needed to try this and become as great as they are. Cigarette’s should be banned from TV all together because once you have started then you do not realize how bad smoking is until you are addicted.
When we take our kids to the movies or even sitting at home watching TV there are plenty of product placement on the screen. We really do not realize how much our kids watch things of this nature. The food and beverages are advertised in these films are high sugar and calories. This makes it hard for our kids because they see what all these people on the screen are eating. Of course next thing you know our kids want things of that nature. “A new study by the Hood Center for Children and Families at Dartmouth Medical School has determined that the placement of food products in movies, which for the record are not unintentional, could in fact have a negative impact on the health of your children” (ParentingSQUAD, 2010, para 1, a). “By some estimates, only 1% of the children in this country eat a diet that is consistent with the Food Pyramid established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture” (USDA) (ParentingSQUAD, 2010, para 3, b).
The majority of product placement on TV is bad choices. It may make a difference to our society with the choices they make in diets if they would put healthy choices of product placement. “Product placement on TV shares many similarities to its big screen counterpart, in that they both tend to promote unhealthy choices and major brand names, but there are some important differences as well. On the one hand, TV ads during adolescent programming tend to focus on fast food and ready-to-eat cereals, while movies seem to favor sweetened beverages (especially soda pop), which accounted for nearly 1 in 4 brand placements” (ParentingSQUAD, 2010, para 5, c).
Alcohol has been a big concern for our youth. The British Medical Association (BMA) had warned everyone about the bad alcohol and many other unsuitable products can affect the youth in our society. They air these products on family programs and the top rated channels so that it gets out to the public. When they advertise these to family programs then the children watch this and try their product. Companies advertise their product to where young children end up seeing it, and of course the young children around the world try it even though they are not of age.
A drug named Seroquel (a drug that helps treat bipolar disorder), an antipsychotic drug, which was just advertised in a film. The film had mentioned this drug and what its purpose was. This film had helped get the word out for many people that have been struggling with this disorder. When someone sees this product, they hear how great it was and how it saved one of the characters’ lives on that program. However, they were never informed about the side effects and how someone could possibly have life threatening issues. There has already ben issues with customers of medicine that was placed in a movie as product placement and up ended not knowing what harm could come out of this drug. If medicine is used placed in a film it should have to have all of the side effects also before it can harm someone.
Weapon are another big concern to a lot of people in our country when they are product placed. This mostly is a problem in video games because parents do not want guns being advertised in their video games. “We are outraged that video game companies and gun manufacturers are entering into deals to market guns to our children, particularly given the real-life epidemic of gun violence in America,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America (Christopher, 2013).” I do feel that this has an impact on children all over the world. These games should be for eighteen and older if they are advertising such products.
I have discussed a lot of what kind of products can hurt you, but no one ever realized that we want the desirable lifestyles characters play. So these companies make us want what most of us cannot afford. Experts that study this call it referencing. To describe this is simple way, basically when someone wants the way someone else live on their favorite TV show or movie then they play the part. These characters would have the same jobs as the average American but be able to afford a wealthier lifestyle. Some people decide to live in a house/apartment that they cannot afford or buy certain objects that are meant for more wealthy people. These people play into this product placement of buying certain objects that their favorite character has.
Not only is there product placement in staged shows, such as the big bang theory, but product placement has been known to be in reality TV shows, such as Real World St Thomas. I read on a blog about a girl that was watching the show and noticed the subway commercial that she found to be blatant nature of the placement(). The show placed a subway commercial in the middle of the show. The girl on the show then tell the guy that she wants subway and the orders subway online. This also another reason why it is making the TV show bad. I wouldn’t say it was necessarily bad influence but there needs be more rules and guidelines to product placement.
Product Placement is allowed in the UK but is already regulated over there. In the UK programming that has product placement has to follow the Ofcom’s rules. These rules are to make sure what types of products are allowed to be used in a TV program, where product placement can be placed, and how product placement is presented in these programs. Products in the UK cannot be placed in news, children’s channels. On top of those programs product placement is not allowed in religious, current affairs, and consumer advice programs that are made In the UK and broadcasted in the UK. Their rule is great for where product placement cannot be on certain programs but they also have made rules on what cannot be advertised. The UK does not allow tobacco products, prescription medicines, alcoholic drinks, gambling products, food or beverages (that are high in sugar, salt, or fat), baby milk, and weapons are not allowed to be product placed in UK programs.
Another great rule that the UK has when there is product placement in a program then the channel has to have a certain logo. This logo has to be shown before the show start, when there is a break, and at the end of the program. They also have to have a description of what product is being placed in their program. This help people with younger kids to make sure they are not seeing bad habits on their TV.
There has never been any studies on banning certain product placement in the United States. However they do have new studies recognizing the harm of smoking in movies. They want the MPAA to make all smoking movies rated ‘R’ even if it supposed to be a PG-13 movie. If you look up the rules of product placement in the United States you will find rule and restrictions but they need to regulate it to what all can be used and approved for Americans eyes.
Product placement is controlled to certain degree. Everyone knows that people have to pay to get there product placed. Unless the company that wants their product advertised makes an exchange of products to the advertiser then it is considered a payment also. What really needs to be controlled is whether it is a suitable product to be placed for our society to see, such as smoking, drugs, and unhealthy food and beverages.
In other countries their governments are trying to make a difference in how their society gets affected from product placement. The United States seem to be a little behind and need to start helping how Americans view product placement on Television. There are so many ways that product placement can influence our lives. From kids to adults it will always continue to influence us in a bad way. Therefore, Product placement should most definitely be controlled to what kinds of products are being placed.

Reference
Charlesworth A. ; Glantz SA. (2005, December). Smoking in the movies increases adolescent smoking: a review. Pediatrics. 116(6), 28. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy- library.ashford.edu/eds/detail?vid=2&sid=8fd34d73-166e-428f-8c75-7b4093d73c45%40sessionmgr110&hid=106&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=c8h&AN=2009107056
The effect on children when smoking is seen in movies.
Christopher T. (2013, June 12th). Video Game Companies Pressured To Drop Gun Manufacturer Product Placement. Mediaite.com. Retrieved from http://www.mediaite.com/online/video-game-companies-pressured-to-drop-gun-manufacturer-product-placement/
How weapons are bad for our children.
Matthes, J.; Wirth, W.; Schemer, C.; Kissling, A. (2011 a) (2011 b). I See What You Don’t See. 40(4), 85. Retrieved from http://ehis.ebscohost.com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/eds/detail?vid=7&sid=df99cb46-8569-4678-be0b-0da30c5ac369%40sessionmgr15&hid=106&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#db=bsh&AN=69736440
Definition of Product Control and where product placement is places.
ParentingSQUAD. (2010 a, February 23) (2010 b, February 23) (2010 c, February 23). [Product Placement In Movies Influences Children]. Retrieved from http://parentingsquad.com/product-placement-in-movies-influences-children
Product placement is in simple places that you take your kids to. Movies is one of the places where you go and your kids are victims of bad product placement. They advertise food and beverages that are very bad for you and your children.
Tang, K. (2013). The Ethics of Product Placement in Television. Azcentral.com. Retrieved from http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/ethics-product-placement-television-11974.html tel-uh-vizh-uh-ner-ee. (2010, September 5). Real World St Thomas and Contrived Subway Product Placements. Evankropp.wordpress.com. Retrieved from http://evankropp.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/real-world-st-thomas-and-contrived-subway-product-placements/
How product placement was used in reality television, and how it was not used right.
TobaccoFreeCA. (n.d. a) (n.d. b). ["Replacement" Customers]. Retrieved from http://www.tobaccofreeca.com/smoking-problem/tobacco-industry/targeting/youth/
In today’s world cigarettes have been banned from advertising. They can still be seen in some magazines. They are always getting through the loopholes and advertising in places like schools. Smoking is still in movies and they try to make it sound like they are preventing kids from wanting to smoke.