Product Placement: Avoiding The Million-Dollar Minute
             As the price of advertising on television has increased, companies and their advertising agencies have been looking for more cost productive ways of marketing. A major way of tackling this issue is through the use of product placement in movies and television. With every new movie release or every new episode of a sitcom, it becomes more and more apparent that advertisers are going to stick with this medium as an effective advertising device. Watching TV or movies as recent as ten years ago, the products you saw were very generic in nature and brand names were rarely seen. But the days of seeing a soft drink can labeled simply "Cola" in the refrigerator on your favorite show are a thing of the past as a new wave of advertising has emerged.
             In the world of television, one of the most dreadful words to advertisers is "zapping." The term zapping came about with the invention of the remote control. It denotes the quick reaction by a viewer to change the channel at the sight of a commercial. When viewers would have to leave the comfort of their chair or sofa just to switch stations, advertisers often had a "captured" audience. Companies are finding that the conventional way of advertising is too costly to have their commercials skipped by just the touch of a button. So by innovative marketing techniques, companies have placed their product directly in the heart of your favorite television programs. Whether sponsoring the show or just having a brief appearance, they have definitely made their mark.
             Not too many years ago, plugging products on network TV was prohibited, but now networks are "more than eager to oblige" (Gunther). Since the networks have been producing their own shows, they have seen this type of advertising as a wonderful opportunity. They not only can make money by plugging specific products in their television s...