Advertisers are ready to cash in as reality series take on a new twist. To help pay for production costs, some new reality shows will have a very visible sponsor presence.
Sure, you're well aware that Survivor has a handful of sponsors, with Target and Visa being two of the most recognizable. But you don't exactly see the castaways suiting up in Target bull's-eye bathing suits.
But the new face of reality television could change all that. Product placement deals are putting sponsors right in the middle of the action.
NBC's summer reality show, The Restaurant, will feature people dining at a New York restaurant. The show will surprise patrons with big news such as a marriage proposal or a pregnancy.
The real surprise, though, is that advertisers are on-board and helping to pay for the show. If someone orders a beer, they'll be drinking a Coors. When it's time for the bill, American Express will get all of the credit, no pun intended. When the chef heads out to pick up food to prepare, he'll be driving around in a Mitsubishi. And, of course, you can't have the full effect of driving through the streets of Manhattan without the arial shots from the helicopter.
The product placement deals don't stop there either.
Nashville Star is an American Idol take-off. The show features product placements from companies like McDonald's and Chevrolet. Speaking of American Idol, this show is also heavily involved with product placements from companies like Coca-Cola, Ford and AT&T Wireless.
House Rules makes home improvement a game. The TBS Superstation show plans to nail down consumers with product placements from Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse. Lowe's is no stranger to product placement's effectiveness either. Currently, The Learning Channel's Trading Spaces uses Lowe's for paint and other home improvement necessities.
But the reality craze is over right? Why would an advertiser want to throw away money on product placement when no one's watching? Brace yourself. Reality Central is a new cable channel just for reality shows.
The idea came to former Amazing Race contestant Blake Mycoskie who pitched the concept to Larry Namer, an old pro at the ins and outs of the cable market. Mycoskie drummed up $750,000 for the new channel from former reality show contestants like Survivor I's winner Richard Hatch and 30 other reality stars.
With the launch of Reality Central, an advertiser's product placement deals are an instant two for one.