During the height of Toyota's public meltdown due to their massive recall efforts, Claire and Phil Dunphy were still trucking along in their Toyota Sienna for all of America to see. This couple, from ABC's new sitcom "Modern Family", are seen driving in their car on numerous times throughout the show -- all part of a massive product placement deal that ABC signed with Toyota, long before the days of their crisis. Unfortunately for "Modern Family", the episodes are taped in advance, and the show producers are unable to yank the Toyotas driven by many of the show's characters. Denis Riney, Executive VP at BrandLogic, believes that for at least a year, there will be "some negative rub-off on other properties and people that associate with [Toyota]." However, I am not sure that I agree with Mr. Riney's estimations.
Not much of a TV fan, I try to stay away from getting hooked on the latest shows, because I try to be as productive with my time as possible. That being said, "Modern Family" is a must-see. My best friend managed to corale me into watching it with her one day, and I fell in love. The show makes me snort with laughter -- the one liners and comedic timing are absolutely perfect, and they really do represent a true modern family living in America today. Do I think that Cameron and Mitchell, the show's happily married gay couple, driving around in their eco-friendly Prius is going to have a negative rub-off on the show? Not at all. There are still millions of Toyota cars being driven around in the world, and although Toyota's brand image may be damaged for the time being, I do not think that their product placements will harm the brand image of popular TV shows. Doesn't this just make the Dunphys and the Pritchetts more like, well, modern families? Perhaps they have already gone in to get their cars inspected, and like the masses of other Toyota users have gone back to to the roads, able to feel safe that their automobile has received the stamp of approval?
This opinion may seem counter to the idea of product placement's purpose being to associate the show with the brands being incorporated into the content -- a sort of "guilty by association" scheme. Personally, I do not fully agree with this idea. I think that product placements help to increase reach and the number of total impressions, but even after watching "American Idol", I do not position Coke as a young, hip drink coveted by all in America. Maybe product placement strategies need to be reconsidered in order to be more effective, or perhaps it's just that all of my advertising classes have rubbed off on me and I am now a more savvy-audience member, taking note of, and knowing the relationship behind, these strategic in-show ads.
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