Product Placement

“Friends” was, and still is, an exceptionally popular television show.  Because it is such a beloved show, product placement is extremely evident.  Product placement is the act of advertising brand names in the media, such as T.V. shows or movies.  The way that product placement works is when a product is show on T.V., for example, then people will recognize that product and, as a result, will want to buy it.  

     

“Friends” first aired in September of 1994 and continued for ten seasons, ending in May of 2004.  The comedic show, as a whole, is about a group of six, mid-twenty year old friends, who live in Manhattan, and their dilemmas pertaining to relationships and careers.  The episode that I viewed was the fourth episode of the first season.  Two separate problems arise among the group of friends.  The girls, Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe, discuss complications with their lives and where they see themselves in the future.  The boys, Ross, Chandler, and Joey, attend a hockey game that goes terribly awry.          

       

During the first scene, Rachel’s old friends enter the coffeehouse with large shopping bags, a Big Brown Bag from Bloomingdale’s, a Zabar’s bag from a food store, and a Balducci’s bag from another food store.  Even though these three bags are not mentioned, they are definitely product placement because they were arranged in a fashion that the audience can easily see.  The audience can tell that the women were shopping before meeting Rachel.  Later, when the girls are sitting at a small table, the camera is at a distance where the bags can be seen in a noticeable fashion.  Another obvious product placement is when Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe are at Rachel and Monica’s apartment.  The girls are having a slumber party.  Various games are seen, and even mentioned, in the background, such as Operation and Twister.  These games are not played with and are only seen once except until the end of the episode, where the six of them are playing Twister.  This is product placement because the friends seem so happy to be together and to be playing together.  When audiences see Twister on T.V., they will want to buy it and play with their friends because they want what Rachel has: bliss.  

While the boys are at the New York Rangers hockey game, Joey is seen wearing a Rangers hockey jersey and Chandler is wearing a New York Rangers hat.  These two products are not product placement however.  Neither the hat nor the jersey is mentioned, and when the three of them are at the game, other fans have Rangers apparel.  These products are only shown on T.V. so that they fit in with the setting of a Rangers hockey game.  At Madison Square Garden, various advertisements are shown around the hockey rink, such as MetLife, Amtrack, Delta Arilines, Sabrett, Snapple, and Budweiser.  These advertisements are also not product placement.  Ads like these are shown at all sporting event arenas; again, like the hat and jersey, the ads are merely part of the setting of a hockey game.