Media Guardian: Product placement is no panacea, says Channel 4 sales chief

When it comes to product placement, I always think of two moments. The first is the James Bond film, Goldeneye, where Perrier logoed lorries are crashed into, and people walk past banks of computer screens in the baddies lair which all seem to do nothing other than have an IBM OS/2 Warp logo on them. You'd think the baddies would have something better to show...

The second is that old ITC trailer featuring a spoof Australian soap opera. Two young men go to the fridge and get a beer. The camera stays looking at the beer logo whilst the two characters witter on about all the exciting things happening that we can't see.

However it's a subject that's been in the news - and one we've blogged about in the past. It's seen as the saving method of getting cash into programmes one minute, outrage at it the next.

But will it be the great cash cow for the industry that some analysts think it needs when we're all skipping ads or whatever? Some stats from Channel 4 make interesting reading.

Normal adverts make £800m per year, whilst programme sponsorship a mere £25m. The money raised through product placement therefore, doesn't look like it's about to challenge the traditional 30 second advert in the revenue stakes any time soon.

But no doubt the extra pocket money will be as welcomed by the broadcasters as much as the revenue raised by the awful quiz TV channels that the broadcasters are clamouring to launch...