How do you feel about seeing the girls from the factory sitting in the Rovers Return sipping bottles of Peroni and munching on packets of Walkers cheese & onion crisps after their shift? Well if the big bosses at ITV decided they want to do it, it is now possible. Companies now have the luxury of handing over the cash so the public of the UK can see the likes of the cast of Eastenders and Coronation Street eating, drinking and playing with their products. Nestle made marketing history earlier this year as they became the proud owners of the first product to be placed on UK TV on 28 February, when their Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee machine débuted on This Morning. ITV signed a deal with Nescafe worth £100,000 for the privilege of viewers seeing the coffee machine strategically placed in This Morning’s kitchen area.

This is what you get for £100,000 these days.I must admit this looks like a very subtle shot for such a hefty fee? But, in actual fact it has recently been revealed that Nestle could receive more than £500,000 in media value (according to NMG). In addition, NMG haven’t even considered the PR value of the placement!  It’s safe to say Nescafe is continuing to attract media attention as people still report, view, talk and tweet on the placement. But did they get value for money?  Or would the money have been better spent on direct marketing, PR or other forms of advertising such as billboards and commercials? The latest move in product placement is a little bit different and has been made by the nationwide women’s clothes retailer New Look, who has signed a deal with T4 to become the first brand to pay for placement on Channel 4. The programme will launch this Summer and will strategically feature New Look’s clothes, sponsorship branding and the lucky winner of the show will gain a job to work with New Look. The price of the deal has not yet been revealed but I wonder how effective this placement will be?