“Real Housewives”, a Real Product Placement Opportunity

I must admit these are my favorite kinds of posts: keeping you updated on the product placement I spot during my favorite shows. The show I tracked this week is “The Real Housewives of Orange County”. It’s a half hour reality show aired Tuesdays at 10pm on Bravo, and it’s based on… you guessed it… real housewives who live in Orange County, California. It’s almost a cross between “Laguna Beach” but with a more mature twist, “The O.C.” and “Desperate Housewives” but based on a reality rather than scripted drama and comedy. With these ladies’ lavish lifestyles it’s almost impossible not to spot the expensive brands they flaunt in our faces. How much of it is actually placed for marketing purposes is another issue.

This week, characters carried their typical Coach and Louis Vuitton bags, cruised in their Range Rovers, Mercedes, and Bentleys, and sported their oversized Tiffany platinum and diamond jewelry. And viewers must admit they’re impressed, and some even try to imitate (whether they can afford to or not). Successful advertising? Definitely. Actual paid-for product placement? Maybe not. What was interesting, though, were the sponsors of this week’s show and the commercials for the products that aired directly after. From iTunes to Maybelline, these brands were definitely relevant to the show and advertised strategically. But some might say the show itself – product placement or showing off – is the strongest advertising medium in the 30 minute time slot.