Marketing and all things related

Earlier this week, I wrote a post about product placement on The Amazing Race by Travelocity.  A comment left by a MarketingBlurb.com visitor reminded me of the in-your-face product placement that seems to proliferate all reality television shows these days. 

For example, American Idol is wrought with Coke drinkers and fake Ford commercials featuring the contestants, while Survivor seems to hype one product after another.  Notably, on last week's episode of Survivor, winners of the reward challenge enjoyed showers and other spa-like treatments.  I laughed out loud when the host, Jeff Probst, told the filthy contestants, who were mostly men, that the winners could bathe in the luxurious ribbons of Olay Ribbons Body Wash.  It seems that all reality shows are guilty of excessive product placement often to the detriment of the program.

Remember the days of subtle product placement on TV when someone might be using a Dell computer or talking on an AT&T telephone?  Will other television programs follow the reality TV trend and feature over the top product placement, too?  What's next?  Will we see Larry King singing the praises of Pepsi while interviewing guests on CNN?  When does product placement turn television shows into extended ads?