Seeming as I just finished a project about a diet coke advertisement I thought it was only appropriate to keep on theme and find out about diet coke and product placement. (Note: I’m also drinking diet coke as I’m writing this. All in theme.) Anyway after a good bit of research I found out that diet coke isn’t only a brand but in America is becoming one of this things you say when you want a diet cola drink, much like Coca-Cola has become. In televisions shows actors have a script to follow (obviously!) so now in a good few shows it’s been scripted in to say “oh wow! I really could do with a diet coke.” Or “I’m really enjoying my diet coke’ Take “The Big Bang Theory” for instance. In the episode “the grasshopper experiment” one of the main protagonists asks Penny another protagonist for a Diet Coke. There is no need for them to of done this as the audience would understand what a diet cola Is but its automatically linked to one of the strongest cola brands that it was just written in as Diet Coke. Yet in another scene in a different episode they don’t actually use the product but use a very similar one that looks exactly like a Diet Coke. So much so I had to stick my nose up to the screen to make sure it said cola and not coke. Clear and blatant product placement on the cheap.
Another secret but clear product placement I found with Diet Coke was in the “telephone” music video by Lady GaGa. Now I haven’t got much to say about this but I just found it interesting that it is in music video even. Maybe that’s just me and you won’t find it as interesting but It caught my eye and I liked it.
And lastly, yes I know I could talk about Diet Coke and their product placements for hours but really would you read all of it. I thought not. Family guy, we all know it for insulting products but using a products name costs and this would of cost them a lot as they are insulting the brands image completely in a humorous way.
Yes they have covered up the name diet but they still use the trademarked name of coke and its is the obvious colours of Diet Coke. I say this cost them a pretty penny whether it was before or after they aired it.
By courtney
Secret Advertising 