Blog 6 - Dr. Massie - Mass Communication

For this blog I chose to watch, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. In the episode, The Gang Recycles Their Trash; there was plenty of product placement. The argument that will be made is what was placed on purpose and what was just there.

This episode is roughly twenty minutes long. In the very beginning the group is walking through a garbage dump. In the garbage dump there is a Staples and Sony box laying in the piles. I do not think either one was placed on purpose. I believe they was thrown there just to put the scene together. They did not pop out, but they were noticeable. Next (thirty-six seconds into the show), the group walks into the bar, where most of the scenes are, and to the left there is a Coors Light led light hanging on the wall behind the actors. Here, I believe that this could be product placement. The show could have used any other sign to display. Maybe Coors Light is a sponsor for the show. Forty-three seconds into the show there is another Coors Light logo. It is behind the bar as one of the taps. The other taps are not labeled. This is what brought me to believe that they are a sponsored item and this is why they are placed noticeably. One minute and seven seconds in, there is a Coors light bottle next to one of the characters chatting to the group. I believe this was placed because the logo is pointed out towards the camera which makes it noticeable.

Roughly two minutes in, the Eagles Stadium appears in the introduction. Since the show is in Philadelphia, this could or could not be considered product placement. I am going to lean towards that it is because they could have shot the intro anywhere else in Philadelphia. Next, some of the guys went to a car rental shop to try to get a vehicle so they can collect trash. At this rental place an Express, Chevy, and Lincoln were presented. I do not think these are considered product placement. I believe these vehicles were already in the lot where the scene was shot. If all the vehicles were one brand or one type, then I believe it would be considered product placement. The logos were not easily seen.

After the product placement that was mentioned already, there was a gap throughout the episode where no products were seen. Sixteen minutes into the episode a few more were noticeable. Behind the bar Bombe Sapphire, Jose Cuervo (margarita mix), and a Coors Light drainer were seen as the characters were having a conversation. Lastly, with roughly two minutes remaining, one of the characters is wearing a Diamond Cutter t-shirt. I believe this is product placement because all of the other characters are wearing plain shirts. It is tricky to wear a shirt that has a logo on it or that is not plain without it being considered product placement.

Throughout the whole episode, there was a fair amount of product placement, not too much, but enough. It seemed that the product placement is surrounding, and in, all of the bar scenes.