• by David Goetzl , July 11, 2008

To a run of industry types, a pair of spring 2006 episodes of "7th Heaven" represented nothing less than the nadir of product placement. Oreo cookies were more prevalent than at pre-school snack time. There was the characters' near-incessant touting of the sheer delight that comes from dunking the cookies in milk, while a proposal took place with the ring enmeshed in the frosting between the wafers.

"Is it possible to tell the producers of "7th Heaven" that their blatant advertising is nauseating!" asked an ensuing blog post.

Partly due to that display, piqued Hollywood writers/showrunners/producers used the high-profile upfront week several weeks later to hold a press conference arguing product placement has run amuck. (Never mind that it directly or indirectly lines their pockets.)

Among the participants was Neal Baer, an executive producer on "Law & Order: SVU," whose presence was notable in that his series apparently doesn't accept a cent for any product insertions.

At some level with his opprobrium, Baer was acting as a comrade in battle with Dick Wolf, the creator and overseer of all three "Law & Order" shows. Wolf, one of the most influential creative-side executives in Hollywood, told USA Today several months after "7th Heaven" aired in September 2006 that product placement is a no-go on "L&O."

"If somebody wanted to integrate a product into [our] story, I would find that risible," he said.

But has the former ad copywriter changed his law, er, desire to avoid the risibility?

The June 22 episode of "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," a series where fresh episodes now air on USA, certainly raised the question. So much so, that if Wolf's production operation and USA were not in cahoots on some sort of pay-for-placement, they would appear to be in the marketer-give-away business.

The integration of a Range Rover in the show -- one of the top product placements of the week, according to measurement firm iTVX -- was on par with what's become SOP for a product placement deal with an automaker. There was the weave into the storyline; a slew of close-ups and action shots of the vehicle; and a run of audio mentions -- all favorable to the SUV.

In the episode, a husband is on the lam, after escaping with a girlfriend and faking a carjacking of a Rover. Stars Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe (who play detectives) are put on the case.

In one scene, the enigmatic detective Robert Goren (D'Onofrio), is impressed by the latest model. When told the lam-man drives "a 2008 Range Rover white," he turns to his partner with a credulous, "Oh, nice car."

The endorsement was one of seven mentions of the Rover in the show. As for camera zooms or appealing shots, there were no less than 15.

The initial close-up was of the rear of the spanking-new SUV, where "Range Rover" was spread across the screen. The vehicle then speeds away with the soft purr of the V-8 and a demonstration of its easy agility around a curve. More alluring action shots -- showing off both the engine and the handling -- follow.

But it's not just the exterior on display, there's the leather interior with the DVD screens on the back of the front seats. At one point, viewers had some 39 seconds to take it all in as the detectives gave the Rover a thorough search.

A later scene starts with arguably a gratuitous pan of the Rover, with the camera moving by the tinted windows. Then, there are appealing looks at the slick, multi-spoked tire rims, only slightly behind the action -- and hardly concealed.

And that may be the clue. Wolf's one-time risibility could now be a reality.

Product	Show	Q-Ratio
Red Lobster	The Next Food Network Star	3.2285
Blackberry	Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List	2.8976
Range Rover	Law & Order: Criminal Intent	2.2546
Pizza Hut	Spike Guys' Choice 2008	0.9453
Honda	My Boys	0.3310

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