The Office brought to you by Staples in conjunction with Papa November
Was anyone else annoyed by the product placement in The Office last night? I’m talking about the shredder that Kevin was so enthusiasticly demonstrating; “it will even shred CD’s”. Then the commercial break incuded a Staples commercial featuring the shredder. At the end of the episode Kevin shreds lettuce in it and tells Meredith that he got his salad from Staples. I understand the advertising synergy, but isn’t it enough that in a 44 minute program only 28 minutes are dedicated to the show?
30 Rock which follows The Office, started with a bit about product placement in TV shows, which then in a “wacky” twist, turned into a pitch for Snapple. I don’t think this post modern awareness that attempts to diffuse the stigma of “selling-out” by admitting to selling-out really changes how anyone feels about it. At this rate TV is just going to turn into long commercials with loose story lines, featuring our favorite actors. “Next on The Office, Jim can’t get enough Doritos, luckily Pam buys them in bulk from Costco! Will Kevin choose McDonald’s new chicken sandwich meal for lunch, or will he try out one of their delicious healthy salads?”
Comments
you have to give the marketing people credit - this would have been a perfect fit, really, if they wanted to do subtle product placement with a shredder from staples. they just went a little too far and insulted their viwer's intelligence when they included commercials for that very shredder during the breaks in that very show. the marketing people are probably sitting there, high-fiving eachother for successful and maximum exposure for their product, when they should know that advertising works best when people don't totally realize that they are being advertised to.
and once you start building plot lines around specific products? they are going to do way more harm than good. but they might get rich trying to make it happen.
Posted by: bex | November 17, 2006 12:26 PM
You're right, if they just hadn't run the commercial it would have been way more effective. I may have even owned a shredder by now.
Posted by: joe | November 17, 2006 01:04 PM
I didn't catch the Staples commercial because I tivo'd the show it and skip commercials, that is the only wat to go.
This post was brought to you by the good folks at Tivo.
Posted by: rob | November 22, 2006 07:13 PM
Were you in Provo over Thanksgiving? If not, you have a follower of the blue tape shadows. I came across one on campus this morning. I don't have a camera or I would have taken a picture.
Posted by: Jenny O | November 27, 2006 12:42 PM
That was me (and Josh, and my dad, and my brother Dave.)
Posted by: joe | November 27, 2006 01:08 PM
I thought the shredder bit was awkward and sad. However, Veeda recently prompted me to consider getting a shredder so that we can keep safe from identity thieves who want to raid our trash so I also thought, "hey, maybe that's the shredder for us!"
Posted by: b | November 28, 2006 12:14 PM
I work for staples, and we did it on purpose. The mail mate is our brand new shreader. So in order for people to buy it, we put it in the office.
There were signs everywhere in the stores going "Watch the Office featuring the Mail Mate."
all product placement is done on purpose. (Not that I like it.)
Posted by: Aojiroi | January 25, 2007 08:02 AM
Yeah, I assumed it was a planned marketing tie-in, but I'm with you, I just didn't like it. Then you have Dwight actually working There in last weeks episode. What's next? Any inside info?
Posted by: Joe | January 25, 2007 08:23 AM