Conversation and discussion product placement and politics of advertising

Put the paragraphs of the text in the following order:

1) What do we call "Product Placement"?

2) Product Placement history.

3) The products do not "just happens to be" in books and films.

4) The richest companies sacrifice thousands to place their products.

5) The deals between companies and programme makers.

6) There's no guarantee of showing the product in a positive light.

7) The average cost of a small consumer product.

8) Television networks owned by corporations.

9) Product Placement in modern literature.

10) The effect of Product Placement on famous people.

1) If you've been watching television or going to the cinema regularly you may have noticed that more and more products are either being used, mentioned or seen in many of the scenes that you've been Watching. Filmmakers control everything that appears on the

screen and it's not by accident that these products are appearing. It is called product placement. It has its origin in the very early days of television and it's coming back.

2) The first product placement was seen in the 1951 film African Queen when Katherine Hepburn threw Humphrey Bogart's bottle of Gordon's Dry Gin overboard. In the 1950's many television shows were named after their sponsors, and so shows such as "Texaco Stars Theatre", The Colgate Comedy Hour' and "Kraft Television Theatre" appeared. The tobacco company Philip Morris, spent $30 000 a week sponsoring the "I Love Lucy" show and the stars were often seen smoking their products.

3) Product Placement is a surreptitious marketing tool whereby products are "placed" in films and TV shows. The audience thinks the product "just happens to be there". In fact the TV/film producer saves substantial amounts of money through "product placement" and the "prop houses" are paid substantial amounts of money for their successful placement of the product in the public eye.

4) Some of the world's richest companies are paying thousands of pounds a year to have their products "placed" on television programmes, including (top-rating soap operas such as) East Enders and Coronation Street. In addition to soap operas and game shows where prizes are handed out, popular magazines and comedy programmes have also been targeted.

5) They are able to do it because of a loophole in the broadcasting regulations which allow programme makers to accept valuable props for nothing. Instead of paying to hire normal props, they take the branded products for free.

The deals are organized by so called product placement agents — middle men who are hired by companies which want their goods to achieve greater exposure on television.

6) Paradoxically however, almost all prop houses (as they are known on the television side of the industry) or product placement companies — none of whom is subject to broadcasting regulations —

offer their clients a guarantee that their products will not be shown in a negative light. Many say they see scripts of programmes before agreeing to hand over valuable props entrusted to them by their clients.

7) The average cost of a small consumer product such as a can of beer appearing briefly in a prime time television programme such as Coronation street stands at about 1 000 pounds. Fixed annual fees start at about 15 000 pounds depending on the range and type of products being placed.

8) Large corporations own many of television networks. Walt Disney for example owns ABC. This means that some product placement deals can become very involved. In April 2001, the NBC show Will and Grace featured one of the actresses wearing a Polo brand shirt. Viewers were invited to buy the shirt at $ 52, $ 15 from every sail would go to "support programs dedicated to raising cancer awareness." A spokesman said that no money changed hands. Five days later 5 000 shirts had been sold, raising $ 45 000 for cancer awareness. Polo is 50% owned by NBC, who no doubt claimed their share of the remaining $ 110 000.

9) Famous people for example film stars, singers and TV Marilyn Monroe did de Beers a good turn with her line "Tiffany! Cartier! Come on, Harry Winston, tell me all about it! Diamonds are a girl's best friend." She also did the perfume industry a lot of good when she said that Chanel No. 5 was the only thing she had on in bed apart from the radio accessories. This can have the effect that a reader may want to go and buy these items.

10) There is no doubt that a product can be enhanced if it is associated with a beautiful woman or a handsome man. Kiri Те Kanawa and Cindy Crawford may have endorsed Rolex, but where would Pierce Brosnan, as James Bond, be without his Omega watch? The Bond films are a paradigm of cunning product placement: Bollinger champagne, BMW, cars and Smirnoff vodka. For the

Superman films, it is said that when the wicked Lex Luther was catapulted into the Coca-Cola sign in Times square, the drinks firm paid $1 million for the privilege.

11) They are able to do it because of a loophole in the broadcasting regulations which allow programme makers to accept valuable props for nothing. Instead of paying to hire normal props, they take the branded products for free.

The deals are organized by so called product placement agents — middle men who are hired by companies which want their goods to achieve greater exposure on television.

African Queen — an American film Katherine Hepbern — an American film star Humphrey Bogart — an American film star ABC, NBC — television networks

What do the underlined words mean?

1) Charlie slipped her sweaty feet out of her Pied a Terre sling backs, tipping her head back into the sink.

2) Rich was reading the pink pages of the evening standard, his cute bedraggled, his Austin Reed tie loosened at the neck.

3) She undid the tie and retrieved her purse and pack of Marlborough lights.

4) She rummaged through the drawer and found a pair of grey Marks & Spenser cotton high tops.

suit with its short A-line skirt and little tailored jacket.

6) Will Mot sat at a huge Apple Macintosh screen.

7) She was down the aisle in an Amanda Wakeley wedding dress in ten minutes flat.