Yes, I’ll be the first to admit that I still watch American Idol. I couldn’t tell you what season it’s in, but I can tell you the two sponsors of the show: Ford and Coca Cola. While American Idol attempts to find the next biggest star, to me, it does something even better: product placement. You can’t watch one segment of this show without seeing the bright red Coca Cola cups, or the infamous Ford Commercials. Coke and Ford have almost become synonymous with the American Idol brand, which goes to show you the power of advertising and branding. After being advertising major for a few semesters now, I’ve come to appreciate product placement. I never noticed it before, but now my eyes are constantly peeled. American Idol not only perfectly blends their brand with two worldwide recognizable brands like Ford and Coke, but has also perfectly branded themselves. They have a tour every year after the show, they have apparel, dolls etc.
While most Americans dislike advertising and rank it just about used-car salesmen for respectable jobs, you can’t deny the power it has. Millions of American’s tunes into Idol each week, and without realizing it, they are probably more aware of Ford, and might even crave a coke.
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