[Wolves] MS tightens the screw

[Peter Evans]

On Friday 07 April 2006 09:45, Peter Cannon wrote:
> On Thursday 06 April 2006 20:15, Shane M. Coughlan wrote:
> Both companies are doing, in my opinion the same thing, they know the vast
> majority has their product, watch some television tonight see how many
> programs have a Dell machine lurking around, they will both make sure
> nobody else can muscle in.
This 'product placement' is quite interesting in an odd sort of way.  I first 
became aware of it when I read an article about it being criticised in the 
movie business a few years ago.  It seems that it's increasingly creeping 
into almost all the TV programmes.

I've recently watched all four back seasons of '24' almost back to back and it 
was fairly apparent that this was going on.  In the first season the only 
identifiable machines in common use were Apples - their distinctive design 
means they don't need massive 'name' labels.  In the second series there were 
more and more 'generic PCs', which looked like Compaqs, but what really stood 
out was the number of shots where people working at a PC are filmed so that 
the rear top half of the monitor is in shot.  Then you started to see the 
'HP' and Dell labels really stand out and the flavour changes from season to 
season.

More recently, and I have to agree with Pete Cannon here, almost every laptop 
I've seen on TV has been a distinctly identifiable Dell brand.  It's far more 
apparent in American shows.  In most domestic TV programmes they appear more 
careful making 'anonymous' the brands of items seen on screen, but I guess 
it's only a matter of time before we get that too.
-- 
Regards,

Pete Evans