The first thing that popped into my mind when I read Josh Andler’s (a fellow classmate’s) blog post about the increasing use of product placement in films, was the music video, “Telephone”, by Lady Gaga. The video features at least 10 different brands, including Virgin Mobile, Wonderbread, and Miracle Whip.

Warning: The video is not suitable for all viewers.

Here is a full list of the products and the time intervals at which they appeared:

1:34: Dr. Dre Heartbeats earphones.
2:06: Virgin Mobile.
2:17: Diet Coke.
4:15: Virgin Mobile
4:24: HP Envy Beats Limited Edition laptop from Monster
4:28: Plenty Of Fish dating site
4:44: Chevrolet.
5:37: Polaroid.
6:24: Wonderbread.
6:36: Miracle Whip.
8:31: Polaroid

I believe that this video was an effective combination of advertising and entertainment, due to the popularity of Lady Gaga and the successful merging of entertainment value and advertising.

The advertised brands are associating themselves with a well-known singer who receives as much media attention for her music, as she does for her wardrobe and public statements. On the first day of the video’s launch, the number of views shot up to the millions and to date, there have been 36,632,779 views of “Telephone” on Youtube (March 8). As the artist with the most views on Youtube, Lady Gaga has captivated the online audience.

As Josh mentioned, many of us probably leave the T.V. during a commercial break, but we voluntarily view music videos on Youtube in their entirety solely for their entertainment value.  Lady Gaga’s video, “Telephone”, has a distinct storyline that seamlessly integrates product placement. There is evidence from a study by Mediaedge: CIA and CTV that viewers enjoy programs with an increased level of product placement, especially if it is well-integrated into the script. Due to the (expected) bizarre nature of her videos, products that may seem random are able to fit well into Lady Gaga’s unique storyboard. For example, Miracle Whip and Wonder Bread is advertised in a sequence about making a sandwich.

By advertising in such a mainstream artist’s video, the brands have flawlessly become a part of their target market’s lifestyle. They can potentially reach a larger portion of the younger generation and be perceived as trendy, must-have products. However, they should be cautious and avoid overbombarding viewers, which can disrupt the entertainment experience.