Eureka : Episode Discussion /Speculation

[firefly827347]

Aw,

Spoiler:

I'm glad they found a way to get Ed Quinn back in this episode.

[MarshAngel]

Is there no end to the sadness, between last weeks episode this one, and this past Atlantis episode, I'm feeling a bit sad. Which, as fiction goes, isn't so bad but I'm little tired of crying.

[Alan Wake]

The product placement wasn't that 'in-your-face' IMO, they managed to include it in the storyline which I thought was good.

It was good to see Marco from The 4400 guest starring

I disagree on this, in one episode i saw they literally zoomed in on the product.

It's Crazy that they have to do this, you think the people who watch this show would get the hint after one or 2 shots. But yet they fill it necessary to throw it all over your face during the episode.

[firefly827347]

If it's a necessary evil to keep the show running then I don't really care. They do it a lot on UK tv. I just don't think there's any point in getting worked up about it.

[Sci-Fi]

The ad rates dropped since the writers strike (10-24%) so the networks initiated massive integration deals to improve their bottom line. Film and reality television has traditionally been the haven for numerous product placement deals, but has increasingly crossed over to scripted shows.

In this era of the empowered consumer that uses PVR's and skips commercials, product placement is often more effective use of advertising money. It's even in video games. Seamless integration of products into media is preferred but the price goes up if the advertiser wants a longer exposure time or in Eureka's case...a closeup. On popular shows, the cost to the advertiser may be in the millions of dollars for product placement but may result in better exposure and sales. PQ Media projects the value of the product placement market will grow at a compound annual rate of 14.9% from 2004 to 2009, reaching US$6.94 billion.

While the '30-second spot' may still be used, it's deteriorating effectiveness because of new technology (PVR's) and/or timeshifting makes product placement attractive. If you think about it, product placement was used back in the early days of TV, the 50's and 60's, when shows ran for almost the entire hour instead of the ~40 mins of today's shows and many shows were directly sponsored and appropriately headlined before the actual show started and their products were used by the actors or seen on their shelves. The proof of the effectiveness of product placement can be found by just reading the comments at this forum...fans/viewers noticed and remembered the product(s) shown.

It is important to remember that it's the advertisers that are actually footing the bill for our favorite shows, so don't be that hard on them.

[Alan Wake]

The proof of the effectiveness of product placement can be found by just reading the comments at this forum...fans/viewers noticed and remembered the product(s) shown.

Yes but did we remember the product in a good light? No. I don't think anyone on here is going to run out and buy it because it's featured on this show. Over advertising a product can actually push people away too. People who really like this show, might not like this being shown every few 10 minutes in an episode. I guarantee you some people will avoid this product just because of this reason. With enough pushing, they might be able to actually hurt their sales.

[Skydiver]

i think there is a huge difference between....jack having a box of raisin bran on his breakfast room table every morning and hte hard sell of 'look, buy this cause they're paying for the show'

the former slips in and people don't even realize it, they just accept it as part of canon, while the latter...well we get so hammered with perpetual ads that you literally stop seeing and stop comprehending them. you learn to tune them out because they are just so OTT and pervasive.

[nowvoyager908]

It is important to remember that it's the advertisers that are actually footing the bill for our favorite shows, so don't be that hard on them.

I'm not too bothered by product placement. Viewing habits have changed and advertisers have to adapt or suffer a not-so-pretty bottom line. For some reason, I'm not even bothered by the less than subtle product placement in Eureka, though I can see that some viewers might consider it selling out, or simply distracting. As long as they don't decide to write an epsiode where the product has previously undiscovered amazing powers and saves the world as we know it.

[Alan Wake]

As long as they don't decide to write an epsiode where the product has previously undiscovered amazing powers and saves the world as we know it.

I would not be the least bit surpisded if they were to do something like this... it's climbing up to that point.

[uknesvuinng]

Wasn't there some interview where they said there was an episode in which the deodorant would actually serve as a major plot device?

[Killdeer]

I don't think it's aired yet.

I didn't notice any product placement in this week's episode though, Degree or otherwise. I think someone further up the thread said something about smoothies(?), but I didn't catch it.

[firefly827347]

The smoothies were in Burn Notice but no brand was named (the guy was just talking about making two of the main characters fruit smoothies), so I'm not sure what they were on about!

[Killdeer]

Oh yeah, I kinda remember that. Thanks.

[Sci-Fi]

The Eureka writers are making fun of the product placements. The new character Thorne is a corp type that's looking for cost savings and efficiency and her nickname is the 'fixer'. They even made her pay $25 for a cup of coffee...lol...subtle hint of the price advertisers have to pay for the privilege.

Cisco Systems has been shown from the beginning, whether it's their logo or on the computer screens. The Degree thing was over the top, but it was only one episode. Lot of the product placements in Eureka are pretty transparent and doesn't really distract the viewer from the story.

[ShadowMaat]

Red Robin was worked into the plot of a Psych episode recently. I hadn't thought much of it beyond the usual eyeroll until the commercial break came and there was that bit about "...is brought to you by Red Robin" followed by a commercial for the restaurant.

I have a feeling we're fast approaching the day when shows become secondary to product placement. They'll just be big, expensive commercials with a bit of plot worked in.