In our society everything we do or don’t do has some sort of code behind it, but so does every society but the here in the U.S. things are done a little different. This week’s post will deal with product placement and the code of ethics that goes along with it. Granted I really do not see myself doing any graphic design or dealing with product placement in my future, BUT in saying that I have always had an eye for product placement because ultimately I find it interesting what products I see placed in tv shows and movies.
Phillip Patterson of Oklahoma Christian University wrote the case study I have chosen. The case study shows us a bunch of different statistics from different companies and how they use product placement effectively. These companies do not own any of the shows or movies they simply sponsor them. Sponsorship from companies gives them the ability to place products effectively, which in turn gives them product recognition, whichhhh leads to more products being bought whichhhhh leads to more money.
Ethically, they are many aspects that go into product placement, for instance contracts must be made to ensure the rights to these products. If a company does not have the rights to use specific company products like a blackberry or an iphone they can’t use it. In saying that, we cannot possibly believe that all companies listen to that. That’s just ignorant! The code helps with this case because it lays out a foundation for what companies are supposed to follow.
Two ethical perspectives that can be related from class to the case are emotion vs rationality and tares. Emotion vs rationality can be helpful in product placement because the companies must decide where to place products so they are seen and if they are sending off the correct message. Tares deal more directly with advertising but its all the same when you really think about it. The Patterson and Wilkins readings tell us that tares deal with Truth, Authenticity, Respect, Equity and Social responsibility. Product placement relies are tares to make sure what they are placing and how they are placing their product is ethically correct.
The most important aspect of this case I believe was finding the codes that go along with product placement and how thought out every detail is. Every inch to every set is thought out and made a specific way for a reason.
Product placement is really interesting. In the series, Sex in the City, one sees many different high end designer products such as Gucci, Prada, Fendi, etc. - I wonder if this practice would pass the S in TARES. Is it socially responsible to glorify rich, Madison Avenue types as typical new Yorkers? Does this make all the rest on New York feel inferior? Let’s face it a Gucci scarf if $450 dollars, most New Yorker’s that is rent.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your take on Product placement. I would say that in the future, companies have not paid much attention to ownership rights when it came to products. Nowadays, I think more attention is been paid to rights of products in product placement. This is evident with the attempted passage of legislation's like the SOPA bill- Some how it seems there is just most awareness with this issue.
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