Don't go camping without Coleman!

I just finished watching the latest episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8 (made possible by Verizon™ FIOS), while I sipped tap water from West Bradford Township™ and had my nightly treat of chocolate low-fat pudding by Jello®, when I wondered if product placement really does work? I loved the Coleman-clad family adventure in the backyard (looked like a golden opportunity for a Kodak® moment to me!)

Seriously: Am I really going to go out and buy Coleman for my next outdoor adventure? (Well if thirty-something single-mothers of eight kids are using Coleman, then I MUST HAVE COLEMAN TOO!) How do advertisers measure the results of product placement anyway? Isn’t anything pure any more? Does it matter that product placements have taken over just about everything: (I always love it when I see a car with the dealer name either on the license plate holder or bolted onto the car—do dealers give discounts for that?)

I hate to say it, but product placements aren’t going anywhere—especially in the days of TEVO™ and DVR, when people fast-forward through all the commercials. Companies and advertisers will continue to find ways to remain at the tops of our minds.

So as I finish this entry, while I type away on my HP® laptop computer, sipping my Coca-cola©, and listening to the soft buzz of my Amana™ refrigerator, I’ll leave you with a thought: are our buying habits the product of product placement? Or have we become so used to seeing products on TV that we’re immune?

Too much brand for breakfast?

I’m always searching for interesting ways in which companies brand themselves. Here’s some food for thought: Harvard brands its waffles. (see photo). That’s right, if you are smart enough to attend Boston’s prestigious Ivy League school, you will eat, sleep, and drink Harvard.

Quick: if anyone can get me one of those fancy Harvard waffle makers, I will produce all the copy for your next ad campaign for free. If you are what you eat, then maybe my kids should be eating Harvard waffles for the next 18 years?

Do the Harvard waffles go too far? Even to me, someone who expounds the virtues of branding to all my clients (a profession that allows me to bring home some serious bacon), it seems a little bit excessive. It’s up there with branded diapers (parents of children under the age of 3 know what I’m talking about – Sesame Street characters adorn all Pampers brand diapers, and Disney has a firm hold on Huggies); that stunt Pizza Hut pulled a couple of years ago when the company proudly placed its logo on a NASA Shuttle (Pizza Hut—the choice of Martians in this galaxy, and possibly others); and that pregnant chick who offered up her round belly as a media vehicle. (Note: that pregnant chick probably banked enough cash off of that venture to send her kid to Harvard in 2023.)

If you find some interesting branded items, take a picture and send them to me, (steph@stephaniemoyer.com). I’ll write about them, and give you all the credit.