More on Product Placement In Cartoons

A couple Brew readers wrote in to correct some of my recent sloppy reportage. In this ITEM posted on paid product placements in animation, I incorrectly wrote that SHORTIES WATCHIN’ SHORTIES was a new series. The first season actually premiered earlier this year and this week is the premiere of the show’s second season. But I think I’m still correct about calling the show ‘craptacular.’

Another Brew reader wrote in regarding the same topic and tells me that the NY TIMES also misreported something in their ARTICLE on product placements. The TIMES said that the product references in FATHER OF THE PRIDE were inserted gratis. Apparently, this is untrue. This reader has it on good authority that while NBC did not get paid, DreamWorks has received monetary compensation for some of the show’s product endorsements.

And finally, yet another Brew reader wrote in to say that product placement in animation is not a new phenomenon. According to this person, Disney has engaged in such activities dating back to the Eighties: “Coca Cola was one of several companies that got ‘placement’ on the streets of New York for OLIVER AND COMPANY. The artists were thrilled. During production of the feature, Coke put in soda machines all through the studio which dispensed free soda.”