Commentary

Brandtique: John Frieda

Earlier this week, it emerged that some politicians in Washington may actually be like the rest of America. Apparently, they've had enough of Donald Trump--in particular, his endless shilling on "The Apprentice."

It's a bit unclear what the FCC commissioners are actually doing, but they're engaging in some process to review regulations governing product placement, and could be looking to crack down. Not so much to limit the amount of Chevys in dramas and Pepsis in comedies--just seeking some way to more directly inform the audience that the Chevy was placed there intentionally, and to make it clear to the viewing public that they are in the midst of a marketing pitch.

Apparently--and who knew this?--current regulations call for some disclosure about product placements, but don't require it on-air until a show finishes. Cable networks are exempt, according to The Wall Street Journal, but the FCC might look to rein in whatever Fine Living and Planet Green may be up to.

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According to the Journal: "The FCC will look at whether it should require TV shows to include notices similar to what political candidates must say before or after campaign ads."

So ... "I'm Mark Kaline, the head of marketing at Ford. In tonight's episode of 'American Idol,' Ford opted to run a vignette with the contestants driving Mustangs because we're hoping tomorrow you'll go out and buy a souped-up 2009 model. We thought David Archuleta behind the wheel would be an inspiration. I approve this message."

There's considerable drama in what the FCC might eventually require--or is it comedy?

Nonetheless, if toothy regulations are enacted and begin to impact cable, executives at Bravo might need disclosure speeches longer than the State of the Union in light of the heavy load of product placement filling their programming. (Maybe the FCC should put in some sort of Bravo grandfather clause.)

Which begs the question: At what point would a disclosure be flat-out insulting to the American public? If there are so many close-ups of John Frieda hair products and the on-air talent is so enthusiastically touting how rich and vibrant they are, it's pretty obvious what's going on--so is some sort of stilted disclosure necessary?

The would-be John Frieda conundrum was on display during June 12's "A-List Awards" on Bravo. The first-annual honors claim to celebrate "the creative process" and recognize "people that have made an indelible mark in the arts." Kathy Griffin was the host.

The "arts" in Bravo's realm include beauty, design, fashion, food and pop culture. One of the honors was the "John Frieda Beauty Icon Award," which was won by Lauren Hutton.

But the Frieda involvement--the hair products marketer is part of Kao Brands--didn't stop with the eponymous award. Backstage, there was a "John Frieda Collection See For Yourself Salon," where Niki Taylor was having her hair done when the camera honed in (one of the top product placements of the week, according to measurement firm iTVX).

Bravo star Tim Gunn appeared with the stylist prepping Taylor for the stage with help from a Frieda specialty, Weather Works, which apparently "actually can weather-proof your hair."

Gunn wasn't blown away by that, more so that the Frieda products--Weather Works can be found for $6.99 online--are "so accessible ... (and) really about the democratization of beauty."

Hair care that's democracy in action. What would the FCC have to say about that?

Product

Show

Q-Ratio

John Frieda Collection

Bravo's A-List Awards

1.8652

Alltel

My Boys

1.5559

People

Tori & Dean

0.6541

Nestle Coffeemate

Flipping Out

0.6519

Coca-Cola

Celebracadabra

0.6347


Click here to view these placements. Data and analysis provided by iTVX.
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