That’s just chat though. They implied there was more than that involved… They specified a place (under the Bridge of Souls).
In the episode when Sheldon attacked Leonard after presenting their paper, Howard specifically said he uploaded it to YouTube.
Lots of products and other brands are mentioned by name, but very little of it seems to be product placement (compare with Modern Family). I read somewhere an interview with the CEO of The Cheesecake Factory who claimed they were as surprised as anyone to hear about Penny working there.
I can’t imagine what the makers of Mystic Warlords of Ka’a are paying in placement fees.
A lot of websites and tech gadgets are regularly mentioned on the show. They even based an episode around Raj and Siri. Like Apple needed that plug.
Here’s a lesser one: Howard used to mention driving a Vespa several times. Don’t think he still does. I wonder if Vespa was pleased about getting the call-out by such a nerd.
I don’t think they ever highlighted any other vehicle make on the show, like Bones does with Toyota. (Which even went to far as to slam Ford in one recent episode.)
They mention some other real restuarants. Bob’s Big Boy was Sheldon’s favorite before he started going to the Cheesecake Factory. I wonder if the generic Chinese/Thai resturant names are actually in use in the LA area. And Soup Plantation is real but I had to Google it to verify. Despite them even having locations near me.
One issue with paid product placement is that stations showing reruns aren’t happy about them. They are giving brands airtime with getting paid themselves.
Yeah, cuz Vespa usually is thought of as such a masculine mode of transportation.
That’s because they made that game up. It doesn’t exist.
I imagine it is supposed to be the equivalent of Magic: The Gathering (although what game play we have seen is very different from Magic).
ETA: I just realized I may have been whooshed…