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Ofcom has launched a new logo that TV channels have to show to let viewers know when a programme contains product placement.
The new logo will appear for 3 seconds at the start and end of a show, including after any ad breaks and although broadcasters will be able to adapt the logo a little, they must stick to Ofcom's guidelines. The logo looks like this.
Product placement, which has been a fixture abroad for some time and is described as ‘the paid-for placement of products, services and trade marks in TV programmes,' will appear in UK TV programmes for the first time from 28 February following government's decision to allow product touting inside shows as a result of changes to European broadcasting legislation.
Several major channels will run an information campaign in the lead up to the change to let people know that some shows will soon include product placement and to introduce the great British public to the new logo. Other broadcasters that want to include product placement in their programmes will also have to give information to their viewers in a similar way.
While product placements will be allowed in documentaries, dramas, TV series including soaps, entertainment shows and sports programmes, they will reassuringly be banned from kids' TV programmes and the news, consumer advise shows and religious programming made for UK audiences.
Thanks to EU law, medicines and tobacco product placements will not be making an appearance anywhere and in addition, UK law will stop the product placement of: alcohol, gambling, foods or drinks that are high in fat, salt or sugar, all other medicines and baby milk, in programmes made for UK audiences.
It gets a little more complicated as legislation states that product placement ‘must not impair broadcasters' editorial independence and must always be editorially justified' so in essence producers cannot go out of their way and distort plots just to feature a product.
Finally, "placed products and services cannot be promoted or endorsed, or be featured in an unduly prominent way within programmes," said Ofcom.
