Any thoughts on this practice?

http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/09/products-placed.html

I have no problem with it, GIVEN that negative brand placement in lyrics is just as protected as positive placement is.

If the corporations want to participate in our national discourse, let them. We have established (mistakenly IMHO) they are people too, so let's make sure they abide by all their rights and responsibilities.

Pay to get your brand in a hit? Great.

Screw over the people and get that in a hit too?

Also great right?

Thought so.

The practise of product placement is really nothing new. Companies have been paying TV & film studios to provide product placement for years. (Remember a certain scene about 45 minutes into "Wayne's World" wherein the film's two main protaginists elevated this to a rather absurd level? ;o) It seems rather unsurprising (to me, anyways) that what is more or less the same thing would also be going on in recording.......

*starts singing*
CVS has all I need,
makes everything go beautifully.
It's just another ordinary miracle today.


(sorry, couldn't resist.)

Motozak2 hit the nail on the head. This is NOTHING NEW!

A lot of hip hop music uses product placement, Rapper Nelly uses NIKE in a couple of his song, there is a bunch of others. Mcdonalds is used all the time in rap music. Plus I've noticed that Obamas name has been featured in a few hip hop songs, which I guess is no big shock.

I'm 58 years old, and like many of my peers, I remember all kinds of references to cars, by brand, for a long, long time.

"My dad said "Son, ya better stop your drinkin' if you're gonna keep drivin' that hod-rod LINCOLN"...
"While driving in my CADILLAC, what to my surprise
A little NASH RAMBLER stood right behind, about 1/3 my size..."
"Little GTO, you're really lookin' fine....."

.....Izzat what you mean, Don? ;o)

Oh yeah, the "Back to the Future" films have a LOT of product (or more accurately, brand) placements, like Nike, Pepsi, Black & Decker, AT&T, Jimi Hendrix and quite a few others.

You know, I'm still trying to find a pair of those slick high-tops like Marty wears in part 2, but they are practically impossible to come across nowdays...I've tried........ ;o)

Yeah, and some companies actually protested even though they were getting tons of free advertising for example" "in the valley of the Jolly ho-ho-ho Green Giant"..., "and it taste just like coca-cola.....C-O-L-A co-la....." These are just a couple of songs that had to be altered to keep from getting into legal trouble.

I like real products in motion pictures and TV. If they're fake, it kinda ruins the situation. All of a sudden I'm not paying attention to the plot line, I'm looking at the fake product.

"Acme Toothpaste tastes GREAT!"

"Ajax Light Bulbs are TERRIFIC!"

Isn't there another old generic name?

Another thing, I don't like fake money in shows. I'm always looking for Cheney on the bill!

Songs with a commercial reference are a different thing than songs with a PAID commercial reference.

Remember the fake goods in the store in the movie Repo Man?

White can black letters "Beer"

I thought Acme dynamite, Acme anvils, and the Acme "Future Push Button Home Of Tomorrow" were real products.

I want to get one of those Acme Radio's!

http://radioattic.com/item_sold.php?radio=0026318

Craig, I'm getting you this!

Or this.

I like the second option best.

"Oh Roadrunner, come listen to the pretty music."

Another Acme product failed.

WOW Mrs merkin, those gifts are KEEN!! I could be the Weird Al Yankovic of K-Hits with that Accordion!

Thanks!

My favorite is when they use real products but alter some letters in the logo to spell somthing else.

Sorry, but you're not fooling me...

how about the artists paying companies
to have THEM featured in their products?...

motozak2--that's exactly what I meant. Also, in the case of Lola, that alteration was meant to be in line with BBC policy rather than BMI or ASCAP.