America's Next Top Model Ads Analysis

Covergirl, Seventeen magazine, Sears,— just to name a few, these are only some brands that have been placed or integrated into the plot of the eighth season of America's Next Top Model. Since technology allows viewers to avoid ads, product placement is the paid product message targeted at influencing movie or TV audiences through the unobtrusive and planned access of a branded product into a movie or TV. (Tiny M. Lowrey, L.J Shrum, John A. McCarty, 2004) Product integration is a similar concept except that the product is used as a part of the program. According to Shrum, it is a technique by "weaving the product into the ‘fabric' of the program". (Tiny M. Lowrey, L.J Shrum, John A. McCarty, 2004) These are the recent channels producers have exploited to vie for consumers' attention today.
As the competitors worked on their commercials, they were told to introduce CoverGirl cosmetics as "sheer shiny shades that matches 97% of the skin tone" on their shooting ads. Finally, the Covergirl promotional videos of all three participants were played again and again. The result is that, audiences had exposed themselves to a commercial-in-disguise TV show that lasted 40 minutes, and had unconsciously become familiar with this famous cosmetic brand, while sitting on their sofa initially looking for entertainment.
As I recall what Mr. Greg Bonnan said, about how he lowered production fee for Baywatch, he earned a large proportion of advertising revenues from his product placement deals, and earned cars, boats and hotels for filming particular brands (Bonnan, 2007). Can you imagine how much Tyra Banks, the executive producer of America's Next Top Model, has benefited from featuring different brands in her show for the whole 40 minutes every