Having just caught up on the two most recent episodes of Bones, I’m annoyed after the fact at that whole how-to-use the new Windows 7 smartphone scene (also recorded here).
In the interrogation room, Bones’s phone beeps obnoxiously and Booth asks if she would turn that thing off. She objects, saying that she’s getting important information from the lab.
This plug could hardly be called true to character, because Bones’s demographic is blatantly not the one to which this phone was tailored and marketed. Plus, there was that whole “watch her navigate the OS and send a text back.”
This isn’t the first phone product placement on Bones by any means; off-hand I remember a time when Sweets whipped out his smartphone (anyone remember what phone that was?) because it had a “light” app, but at least it didn’t interrupt the story much and felt like something Sweets might do.
Jess Kloss has 8 post(s) on Sneak Adtack
3 comments
Curmudgeon says:
Nov 19, 2010
Fine product placement, I would say.
As objectionable as any other product placement, but you have to admit, they got what they paid for.
Oh, Mother says:
Nov 23, 2010
[…] This episode dovetails nicely with a recent article in AdAge, arguing that tech gadgets have a leg up on other items when it comes to product placement. The crux of the article’s argument is that, as our gadgets become more and more a part of daily life, the placement and use of these gadgets by fictional characters becomes less jarring. This is perhaps more true in some cases than others. […]
Jeff says:
Dec 1, 2010
It is funny. Phones seem to be a huge product placement tool. I think it is partly a necessary evil. I am a huge Dexter fan. On that show, the cell phones are all these generic smart phone looking things. They have this ugly screen on them and are very unrealistic (also, that everyone has the same exact phone doesn’t help). But every time I see the phone interface, I immediately think, “That is so unrealistic.” It takes you right out of it.
Although, the worst phone-related placement I ever saw was on one of those CSI-type shows. Two cops were talking to each other. One of their phones rang and the ringtone was Coldplay. The cop’s response, “Oh yeah, it’s the new Coldplay song. My kid and his friends really love their new album.” It was so awkward.