advertising this week

One type of Marketing I saw this week was the product placement of a Starbucks coffee cup on an episode of Law and Order. Product placement is the placement of a brand product in the setting of a tv show or movie. It was really conspicuous because they drink coffee a lot on that show and it’s usually in a plain white cup so this just really stuck out to me. One of the effects this had on me is it pulled me out of the fiction of the show, almost more than a regular commercial. Another type of advertising I saw this week was endorsement by celebrities, which is really the fallacy of an appeal to inappropriate authority. An example I saw this week was a commercial with the rapper Tyga  where he talked about his endless drive for success. The only mention of the product is the last shot in the ad which is a picture of his Reebok’s. This is not only appeal to inappropriate authority, but also has snob appeal, by associating reebok with success and motivation.  I almost always find product placement to be the most effective because I can relate in some way to the character in the show, so it feels like a much more personal recommendation to me. It also stands out in my memory more, because it is something I am on the lookout for, instead of something that is just expected and routine.