# The Big Bang Theory and Drink Bottles **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 3, 2014, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762 "2014-01-03T01:09:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/1 "2014-01-03T01:09:13Z")
Why do they change the name of the product on the beverage containers? The Diet Coke can is Diet Cola, what are some other name changes? ---
**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:** [January 3, 2014, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/2 "2014-01-03T01:10:51Z")
Because they’re not getting paid for product placement. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/3 "2014-01-03T01:14:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Because they’re not getting paid for product placement. I thought that might be the reason, but they don’t change the name of the products in the vending machine,so not sure that’s the case. ---
**Author:** ![randompattern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@randompattern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randompattern)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/4 "2014-01-03T01:18:27Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > I thought that might be the case, but they don’t change the name of the products in the vending machine. Maybe those products ARE paying for placement? ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/5 "2014-01-03T01:24:05Z")
> [@randompattern](#): > > Maybe those products ARE paying for placement? Maybe,still don’t think that is why though. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/6 "2014-01-03T01:29:17Z")
Are they sponsored by any other soft drink? It’s possible that part of their contract with Pepsi (or some other manufacturer) requires that Coke not be featured during the show. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/7 "2014-01-03T01:34:44Z")
Its possible the actors have refused involvement in obvious product placement. I have the vaguest of niggling memories that there was a lot of intrusive PP in the first couple of seasons. . . I think. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/8 "2014-01-03T01:35:10Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Are they sponsored by any other soft drink? It’s possible that part of their contract with Pepsi (or some other manufacturer) requires that Coke not be featured during the show. Don’t think so,they changed Sierra Mist also, can’t remember what they changed it to. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/9 "2014-01-03T01:36:49Z")
I don’t think Big Bang Theory has any need for product placement. But I do think it gets permission to use certain brand and product names. I know they have had _Jenga_, _Skype_, and _World of Warcraft_ featured prominently. So maybe particular soda brands is something they have never pursued permission for. I imagine it might be a minefield of potential competition and favouritism. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/10 "2014-01-03T01:38:31Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > Why do they change the name of the product on the beverage containers? > > The Diet Coke can is Diet Cola, what are some other name changes? If you Google Product Displacement and Big Bang Theory (or other shows) you’ll find a lot of them like “BIJI water” ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/11 "2014-01-03T01:38:59Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I don’t think Big Bang Theory has any need for product placement. But I do think it gets permission to use certain brand and product names. I know they have had _Jenga_, _Skype_, and _World of Warcraft_ featured prominently. So maybe particular soda brands is something they have never pursued permission for. I imagine it might be a minefield of potential competition and favouritism. Wasn’t World of Warcraft. Was Age of Conan. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/12 "2014-01-03T01:42:09Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Wasn’t World of Warcraft. Was Age of Conan. Oh. Darn. I don’t know crap about video games, but I pride myself on getting trivia like this right. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/13 "2014-01-03T01:54:39Z")
I recall Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Coke and Yoo-hoo being mentioned by name on the show. I’m sure there are more that I’m not thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/14 "2014-01-03T02:28:30Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > I recall Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Coke and Yoo-hoo being mentioned by name on the show. I’m sure there are more that I’m not thinking of. www . thecheesecakefactory . com ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/15 "2014-01-03T02:55:33Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > www . thecheesecakefactory . com I was just thinking of soft drinks. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/16 "2014-01-03T03:34:05Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Wasn’t World of Warcraft. Was Age of Conan. Both, actually. WoW got two episodes, one where Sheldon’s account got hacked, and another where the guys where shown playing the game in a quest for a sword that doesn’t actually exist in game. AoC got one episode where Penny got addicted to the game for a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/17 "2014-01-03T03:39:31Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Both, actually. WoW got two episodes, one where Sheldon’s account got hacked, and another where the guys where shown playing the game in a quest for a sword that doesn’t actually exist in game. AoC got one episode where Penny got addicted to the game for a bit. You’re right. My bad. Actually there are a couple more episodes, apparently, where WoW was mentioned, one of them where Bernadette found out that Wolowitz was having “cybersex” with a troll in WoW. How in the world one can have any kind of “cybersex” in WoW - I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/18 "2014-01-03T03:47:09Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > How in the world one can have any kind of “cybersex” in WoW - I have no idea. It happens in private real-time chat, called whispers. A couple of servers were well known for that sort of thing. Could be fairly regular stuff, could be full blown (heh) roleplay. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/19 "2014-01-03T03:49:07Z")
One thing I know for sure is they weren’t being paid to stock the backgrounds of the Comic Book Shop. For years they used City of Heroes stuff and that game never paid them a dime. Nowadays, it seems like they stick to mostly DC stuff which is under the WB umbrella and the “Big Ones” of Nerdom: Star Wars, Star Trek etc. ETA: Regarding MMOs, they also did an Episode about playing SWTOR for a weekend marathon session. ---
**Author:** ![kellner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c2a13f/32.png) [@kellner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kellner)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762/20 "2014-01-03T04:05:49Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I don’t think Big Bang Theory has any need for product placement. But they still have product placement. On German TV they are required to show a warning because of it, but of course that applies to many shows, especially American ones. Unfortunately it doesn’t say which companies exactly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-big-bang-theory-and-drink-bottles/677762.md?page=2)