# Suddenly a new form of advertising appears **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies, star-trek-paramount\ **Created:** [January 11, 2025, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830 "2025-01-11T01:06:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2025, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/1 "2025-01-11T01:06:57Z")
I was walking along the display of large screen TVs in Walmart when I noticed that two of them are using the image of the TV on the box to advertise a show on that TV. The first was for Conan O’Brien Plus which is apparently only available on Samsung TVs. The second was for a Star Trek (?) movie with a bigger than life size image of the star’s head in pseudo 3D popping off the box. This is a great new medium. The image is 5 or 6 feet wide and right at eye level in the store. The next level will be product placement with Conan or whoever drinking a Pepsi while advertising their show on the TV on the box in the Walmart. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2025, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/2 "2025-01-11T01:16:00Z")
How is this “new”? Stranger ---
**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:** [January 11, 2025, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/3 "2025-01-11T01:22:29Z")
How about an ad within an ad? [![](https://images-bucket.bonanzastatic.com/afu/images/3939/3285/25/cd0118.jpg) ](https://images-bucket.bonanzastatic.com/afu/images/3939/3285/25/cd0118.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2025, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/4 "2025-01-11T06:23:17Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > How is this “new”? How is in _not_ new? A TV show and a film being advertised in a photograph of a television set printed on a box containing the television. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2025, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/5 "2025-01-11T06:38:41Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > How is in _not_ new? A TV show and a film being advertised in a photograph of a television set printed on a box containing the television. I’m pretty sure that is a plot line ripped off from _30 Rock_, except with Jack Donaghy that would be [the Funcooker](https://youtu.be/Mzxrq2FYhiE?si=czrs498sPOb5UL6k) and [“MILF Island”](https://youtu.be/YqJNgAP2QnU?si=6F6UMo3kbuOOkMxk). Stranger ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/6 "2025-10-28T21:21:11Z")
And another new form of advertising appears: > **[Samsung makes ads on $3,499 smart fridges official with upcoming software update](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/10/samsung-makes-ads-on-3499-smart-fridges-official-with-upcoming-software-update/)** > > Update introduces two ways for the fridges to show ads. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/7 "2025-10-28T21:35:09Z")
Well, at least it wasn’t Michael McDonald’s _Yah Mo B There,_ again. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2025, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/8 "2025-10-28T22:02:42Z")
That’s actually better than I expected. I figured it would lock the door until you watched an ad. Verified by eye monitoring cameras. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2025, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/9 "2025-10-29T16:36:13Z")
A good reason not to get a smart fridge. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/10 "2025-10-30T01:33:26Z")
Here’s hoping somebody turns this into a “[Suck it, Jin-Yang](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnKpNVHw-TQ)” situation. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2025, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/11 "2025-10-30T12:48:16Z")
> [@Toxgoddess](#): > > A good reason not to get a smart fridge. I predict a rash of suddenly smashed TV monitors on smart fridges if this happens. Or else they’ll start putting kids’ drawings up on the screen with duct tape instead of magnets. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2025, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/12 "2025-10-31T02:40:29Z")
> [@Toxgoddess](#): > > A good reason not to get a smart fridge. Who looks at a refrigerator and says “I wish this thing was smarter?” ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2025, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/13 "2025-10-31T03:19:48Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Who looks at a refrigerator and says “I wish this thing was smarter?” If it could mix a mean Manhattan… Stranger ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2025, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/14 "2025-10-31T04:00:26Z")
> [@Toxgoddess](#): > > A good reason not to get a smart fridge. Yes. I just got a new fridge. Here’s what it does and does not do: - **Does:** Keeps things cold. - **Does not:** Chatter with the internet, communicate with other wi-fi connected devices, advise me about grocery shopping, or push advertising. I’m happy with my choice. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2025, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/15 "2025-10-31T05:14:49Z")
Or they would deliberately stick magnets all over the screen, whether they have kids or not, because it would ruin the screen. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2025, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/16 "2025-10-31T13:47:46Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Who looks at a refrigerator and says “I wish this thing was smarter?” Dave Barry did a column on Smart Refrigerators decades ago. What stands out in my mind is the Jeff MacNelly cartoon that illustrated it. Dave: I’ll have another beer! Refrigerator: I’m afraid I can’t do that, Dave. I’m registering disturbing amounts of flab. (The echoing of HAL9000 from 2001 makes this priceless.) ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2025, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/17 "2025-10-31T14:00:26Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > The next level will be product placement with Conan or whoever drinking a Pepsi while advertising their show on the TV on the box in the Walmart. Well, I won’t be satisfied until an even higher level shows me looking through the store window at Conan or whoever drinking a Pepsi while advertising their show on the TV on the box that includes the picture of me in the Walmart. Yeah, I’m never satisfied! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2025, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/18 "2025-10-31T15:04:40Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > This is a great new medium. The image is 5 or 6 feet wide and right at eye level in the store. The next level will be product placement with Conan or whoever drinking a Pepsi while advertising their show on the TV on the box in the Walmart. There’s a box from a giant TV around the corner from my desk. It has a sticker advertising Conan O’Brien with three pictures of him, but he’s with a leopard or something. No Pepsi. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2025, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/19 "2025-10-31T23:28:39Z")
According to last week’s _Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me_, a new program in China will require people to watch an ad before then can obtain toilet paper in a public restroom. [https://www.npr.org/transcripts/g-s1-94979](https://www.npr.org/transcripts/g-s1-94979) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2025, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suddenly-a-new-form-of-advertising-appears/1012830/20 "2025-10-31T23:43:01Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > No Pepsi. Coke.