• by Kenny , Karin Searle , January 3, 2006

This past year, reality TV led the way in integrating product placement into some of our favorite weekly shows. Programs such as NBC's "The Apprentice," CBS' "Survivor," and UPN's "America's Next Top Model" helped launch new products as well as highlight existing items within the tasks and challenges of those programs.

That's not to say that network and cable dramas and sitcoms shied away from integrating products within their shows. In fact, network and cable television used everyday products in inventive ways to make it natural and seamless to audiences. As an avid TV viewer, the last thing I want from my favorite shows is to be sold to, but when I see Summer (Rachel Bilson) and Seth (Adam Brody) of Fox's "The O.C." hatch a plan to blow the whistle on another classmate's relationship with a teacher using a T-Mobile Sidekick, I can't help but want one for myself.

The following ten product placements highlight some of the best that was seen on television throughout the past year. These placements were interwoven into the very fabric of the stories, becoming integral plot points--and provided new and creative ways of showing product integration within each program. Stay tuned, because 2006 seems even brighter!

Teams competed to come up with the most creative mobile billboard and successfully promoted the Tide To Go brand on the streets of Manhattan in the November 2^nd edition of NBC's "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart."

Teams Net Worth and Magna had to create a promotional brochure for the new Pontiac Solstice and present it to the executives from General Motors on the April 14^th episode of NBC's "The Apprentice."

The Orange County Choppers designed a new bike for the Gillette Razor Company that was cutting-edge on the April 25^th episode of the Discovery Channel's "American Chopper."

The sports agents were divided up into three teams of two, and were given the task of "tricking out" a Pontiac GTO according to Sean's taste. Most importantly, the teams had to find a charity that best reflected Sean's personality so that he could award the best car to that charity in the August 12^th installment of Spike TV's "Super Agent."

Valerie and her husband were given a Lincoln Navigator in the July 31^st episode of HBO's "The Comeback." Unfortunately, everyone knows that nothing is free; the catch is that the Navigator was required to appear not only in Valerie's reality show--but whenever they talked about the car, they were required to say the car's name.

For their final challenge, Nicole, Bre, and Nik shot a Covergirl print ad and commercial. Nicole Linkletter took home the top prize as "America's Next Top Model" on the December 7^th episode on UPN, which included a $100,000 contract with Covergirl cosmetics.

Evelyn bought Alan a Porsche and as payback, pushed him into going on a blind date with her boyfriend's daughter--who turned out to be a recovering addict--on the May 9^th edition of CBS' "Two and a Half Men."

Michael sealed the deal with a new client at the local Chili's and took home the girl--his boss, Jan--in the November 8^th installment of NBC's "The Office."

In order to get Kris in trouble, Danny challenged her brother, Ryan, to a race against her Escalade in the June 27^th installment of ABC Family's "Wildfire."

Ruthie and the rest of the Camdens continued to collect Campbell's soup labels for education to earn supplies for her school and impress Jack, the boy Ruthie had a crush on, in the November 21^st episode of the WB's "7^th Heaven."

These are just some of the best featured product placements of the past year brought to you by MediaDailyNews and branded entertainment researcher iTVX.

Click to view and evaluate placements.