On the drive home from visiting Kathleen’s folks in Atlanta, we listened to the Classic Radio Program station on Sirius XM. I gotta tell you: modern day product placement has nothing on the days of classic radio. George Burns taking time to discuss the wonders of Swan soap while Gracie Allen raves about Maxwell House coffee. On a crime drama, a detective lights up a cigarette and discusses with his partner the healthful benefits of smoking Lucky Strikes. In a Sherlock Holmes drama, Doctor Watson–in character–chats with the announcer about a particular brand of tea.
The only programs on the air nowadays that are radio-era blatant in their product placement are “Chuck” with Subway (which admittedly helped save the series) and “30 Rock” where they’re gleefully self-conscious about pushing various items that you just know was thrust upon them from the powers that be.
So for those who despise the idea of blatant product placement, bad news: it’s a practice that goes back decades which means it’s probably not ending anytime soon.
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