# Does TV's increasing reliance on in-show advertising ensure we won't be seeing scifi shows like TNG, **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 13, 2013, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129 "2013-08-13T13:42:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/1 "2013-08-13T13:42:51Z")
Picard won’t be drinking Lipton Earl Grey tea. Adama will not be getting to work in the new Toyota Prius. Garibaldi won’t get vital information by “Binging it” through his new Windows 8 phone. The farther away a scifi show is from current time and society the harder it would be neatly integrate ads for current products. How many times could the crew of the Enterprise find a Sony TV in an ancient ruin and marvel how advanced it was for it’s time before it got stupid? The answer is zero times. Not only are shows set in current times cheaper to produce, you can also fill them with all kinds of advertising. Shows like Warehouse 13 that is promoting Toyota like they cure cancer. There was a rumor floating around that a new Star Trek show starring Captain Worf was being considered. Not if Worf doesn’t develop a taste for that ancient earth drink for warriors called Red Bull. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/2 "2013-08-13T13:47:08Z")
Huh? ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/3 "2013-08-13T13:47:25Z")
“In the future, everyone eats at Taco Bell” -Demolition Man Where there’s a will, there’s a way. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/4 "2013-08-13T13:50:28Z")
Looks like the title was cut short. It should have been **Does TV’s increasing reliance on in-show advertising ensure we won’t be seeing scifi shows like TNG, Battlestar Galactica or Babylon 5 in the future?** ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/5 "2013-08-13T13:58:46Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > Picard won’t be drinking Lipton Earl Grey tea In fairness, Picard loved to kick back on the holodeck pretending to be twentieth-century gumshoe Dixon Hill, sure as Data enjoyed hanging out in a simulation of a modern comedy club – and Riker and Worf had no problem gambling for the win on that planet with a revolving-door simulation of an old-timey hotel and casino, plus you’ve got those folks who get thawed out of cryogenic stasis three hundred years later, not to mention Q’s penchant for showing up in anachronistic garb – and that’s when they weren’t even _ **trying** _ for product placement. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/6 "2013-08-13T14:07:44Z")
“Q, what are you dressed as now?” “You don’t recognize me, Riker? I am Captain Crunch!” ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/7 "2013-08-13T14:15:19Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > Picard won’t be drinking Lipton Earl Grey tea. Why not? I seem to recall that in the Star Trek reboot a few years back, Uhura ordered a Budweiser. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/8 "2013-08-13T14:18:18Z")
The OP makes a good point. Product placement is certainly increasing, and while shows that are set in the very near future can handle it by showing slightly altered products on 3D billboards and other such gimmicks, shows set in the far future or past are cut of from such revenue. They may be forced to lower production values, or shorten show time to make room for more commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/9 "2013-08-13T15:15:38Z")
Not really a problem. Instead of showing actual products, they’ll just plaster corporate logos on everything. Remember, in\* 2001\* there were product placements for Aeroflot (in Russian), American Express, Bell Telephone, General Motors, Hamilton watches, Hilton hotels, IBM, Pan Am, Parker pens and RCA Whirlpool. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/10 "2013-08-13T15:24:43Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Not really a problem. Instead of showing actual products, they’ll just plaster corporate logos on everything. Remember, in\* 2001\* there were product placements for Aeroflot (in Russian), American Express, Bell Telephone, General Motors, Hamilton watches, Hilton hotels, IBM, Pan Am, Parker pens and RCA Whirlpool. As said before, that will work on shows set in the _near_ future only. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/11 "2013-08-13T15:34:24Z")
When will Coca Cola be discontinued? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/12 "2013-08-13T16:14:17Z")
Hey, Zima is still going strong in 2258. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/13 "2013-08-13T16:29:36Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > As said before, that will work on shows set in the _near_ future only. Why? Why wouldn’t a sponsor want us to think their products will still be around, and popular, in 500 years? Obviously, they won’t want to promote their latest smart phone, but they can stick their logo on almost anything and pretend it’s their newest miracle product. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/14 "2013-08-13T16:52:38Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Why? Why wouldn’t a sponsor want us to think their products will still be around, and popular, in 500 years? > > Obviously, they won’t want to promote their latest smart phone, but they can stick their logo on almost anything and pretend it’s their newest miracle product. I don’t think it’s enough anymore for advertisers to only have their logo somewhere in the background. The characters have to interact with the product in some way. Couple of examples: [Holmes uses a Windows 8 tablet to look up sex offenders on Elementary](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsiXfW75598) [Castle looks up some info on his Windows phone](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFPcvcTzdYY) [Hawaii 5-0 fat guy eats Subway for health reasons](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQYwFND7rHE) [Lost guy asks Galactica gal to Bing it on Hawaii 5-0](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfHuZ5qrYX4) Would Microsoft have a vision of what their products could look like 500 years from that they would be comfortable showing characters using in a TV show? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/15 "2013-08-13T16:59:29Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > Would Microsoft have a vision of what their products could look like 500 years from that they would be comfortable showing characters using in a TV show? It’s somewhat unlikely that anyone who sees it today will notice that the device used 500 years from now is not the same. Microsoft just wants their name out there. They don’t care what it’s used for in the show as long as it’s used in a positive manner. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/16 "2013-08-13T17:33:28Z")
A movie, not TV, but here’s some of the ways they handled it in the new _Elysium_ movie. > **[Product Placement Done Right: Elysium Sends Famous Brands Into The Future](https://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/78761279.html)** > > In his new sci-fi thriller, Elysium, writer-director Neill Blomkamp takes some well-known brands and shuttles them into the future. Elysium, to be released Aug. 9 by Sony Corps TriStar Pictures and Media Rights Capital, is set in the year 2154, when... ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/17 "2013-08-13T18:34:33Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Why? Why wouldn’t a sponsor want us to think their products will still be around, and popular, in 500 years? I’m reminded of the massive Atari billboard in Blade Runner. I just realized, we’re less than six years away from the world of Blade Runner. Where’s my smog-filled wasteland you bastards? There’s green fields just outside the crumbling city of Los Angeles because only a crazy person would believe that the entire planet could turn into a wasteland in 40 years. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/18 "2013-08-13T18:44:44Z")
Maybe a new sci-fi series could just replace certain words with product names or company brands. Like, in the future, nobody says the word awesome anymore, instead they use “Nike” for an unexplained reason. Example: “Wow that food was so awesome.” becomes “Wow that food was so Nike!” Or maybe swear words could be replaced in this fashion. “Get the Coors Light off my lawn, you good for nothing Marlboro jerks!” Why stop there though? Lets just replace every article, verb, noun, adjective and so forth with product placement. Captain Picard: “Apple ipad budweiser toyota?” Riker: “Dole brand apple juice, Dole” Crusher: “Two Broke Girls at 7pm central!” ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/19 "2013-08-13T18:46:45Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I’m reminded of the massive Atari billboard in Blade Runner. Or Mars Today from **Total Recall**. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129/20 "2013-08-13T18:49:53Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > When will Coca Cola be discontinued? Data uses it to clean his gears. There are empties all over Engineering in the background in almost every episode. Dr Crusher told an old admiral to “Fixodent and forget it.” Geordi was always bumming Lucky Strikes off of Wesley (who preferred Malt-O-Meal bagged cereals over replicated foods, btw). Troi reminded Riker to Trojan up. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-tvs-increasing-reliance-on-in-show-advertising-ensure-we-wont-be-seeing-scifi-shows-like-tng/666129.md?page=2)