Warners to digitally add product placements in old TV shows

[ShadowWolf]

Warner's To Insert "Virtual" Product-placement Images In Old Shows
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution is offering to place "virtual images" of products in nearly all of its syndicated shows. TV Week reports in its Monday edition. Although the virtual product images may appear with greater frequency in syndicated product, it's not likely, given the limited technology, that they will see much interaction with cast members, the trade publication observed.

[Leviathan]

Is this a Joke?


If it insn't, Warner, How could you?

[Tobias]

:( (sigh) It was only a matter of time before this happened.

First this, then later on they'll figure out how to digitally change character's clothes so the kids on Diff'rent Strokes will be wearing clothes from 'Old Navy'.

[silverwings]

:confused: Wow... this is, uh, interesting?

Depends on what they mean, I guess. If it's inserting new and random things, that's bad. But if they are just overlaying it over old ad space (like a billboard in a show set in the city), it might not be so bad.

Eh, who am I kidding... this reeks of $. Anyone know what shows this will affect? :sad:

[Weatherman]

*insert either the Cabert song about money or Pink Floyd's sogn about money*


So it's all about the dollar now for TimeWarner eh?:sad:

[Enrique]

So it's all about the dollar now for TimeWarner eh?:sad:

uhm, you're kidding me, right? it's ALWAYS about the dollar... that's why companies exist...

[SirLemming]

As stupid as this is, I don't particularly care, assuming they have the good sense not to insert it into any sort of fantasy, history, or sci-fi shows. TV is a haven of chopped-up shows and movies, and a soulless profit machine. For stuff that's unedited in terms of advertising/commercial breaks, content, squished credits, and a logo in the corner of the screen, buy the DVDs. As long as they don't edit anything that seriously messes with the show's drama, comedy, intent, etc., I'm not too bothered by it.

[Spastic Minnow]

I've heard of this before, it's mostly small stuff.

Consider an episode of Friends where someone is casually drinking a can of soda or eating a bag of chips. In the show they'd either make a point of not showing a label or alter the label so it wasn't a brand name. I can think of one obviouis example of a depressed Ross eating what was obviously a bag of Cheese Nips but they altered the bag so it said something like "Cheesy Bits" or something. Now they can go back and digitally alter those generic products to be an actual recognizable product- for a price.

And yeah, they can probably alter or insert wall ads and advertisements on walls.

[ManicWebb]

Did anyone see that one episode of The Critic where Jay's boss started digitally adding product placements and alternate endings to classic movies?

The world is starting to mimic satirical animation. This would be the perfect time to open an anvil shop.

[Rover_Wow]

Did anyone see that one episode of The Critic where Jay's boss started digitally adding product placements and alternate endings to classic movies?

Was that the one where Jay's boss suddenly fell ill and was cured by a "Lorenzo's Oil" takeoff? I vaguely remember that one. Their Casablanca parody was hilarious. Piano guy: "Stay tuned for the news / And Magnum PI."

[Peter Paltridge]

I've heard of this before, it's mostly small stuff.

Consider an episode of Friends where someone is casually drinking a can of soda or eating a bag of chips. In the show they'd either make a point of not showing a label or alter the label so it wasn't a brand name. I can think of one obviouis example of a depressed Ross eating what was obviously a bag of Cheese Nips but they altered the bag so it said something like "Cheesy Bits" or something. Now they can go back and digitally alter those generic products to be an actual recognizable product- for a price.
I believe there was a brief Friends stunt where Coca-Cola paid the show to have their product clearly used in it. They ran a contest: "Watch to see who drinks the Coke on Friends each week, then write it down! You could win THINGS!!"

[Master Moron]

I'm pretty sure they've been doing this on the Classic Sports network for a while. They digitally replace old billboards with new ones.

[Rover_Wow]

Kung Pow has some humorously inserted product placements for Taco Bell and Hooters. Not new, really...

[Lonestarr]

:mad: And the parade of stupidity continues undeterred. This is something of a black moment for mankind.

[Simpler Simon]

Eh, it's not really ruining any of the shows content, so I dont really care.

What some company did a few years ago was a travesty though, where they took a deceased performer's song and dance number and had it digitally altered to sell vaccum cleaners (was it Sinatra?)

[RD!]

"Rosebud... I mean Swing!"

Eh, it's not really ruining any of the shows content, so I dont really care.It doesn't bother you that they can essentialy make your favorite episode of whatever WB show in to a glorified commercial? It's one thing if it was created that way, but editting something in order to sell a product is dumb.

Would you watch commercials strung together into a TV show in order to get ratings if they were stripped of their product?