On June 10^th 2010, legislation clearing the way for Ofcom to revise the broadcasting code was approved by Parliament. In short, this made product placement permissible on commercial U.K. television.

Inevitably these things take time to get going, so it wasn’t until 28^th February this year a Nescafe coffee machine was visible on ITV’s This Morning show, exposure that cost the client over £100,000. It was speculated that Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby would be using the device to brew beverages for their guests, but in the event the kit simply sat silently in the background during the cookery segment.

So what has been achieved? Is this a ‘game changer’ for advertising, as has been claimed? I doubt it. Indeed, the non-industry people I have spoken to on the subject (yes, my social skills are so advanced) thought this was already happening and had been for years.

I do think Nescafe enjoyed a decent return on their investment, but not because their machine was on a popular magazine show, but simply thanks to the press coverage received by the U.K.’s first placed product. Something the second will not enjoy. And therein lies the problem.

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