Filtering out the constant clamor of corporate sponsorship gets harder and harder. There's just so much, and so much more of it is clever and subtle. Little hints, here and there. A glimpse of a logo in a movie; a half empty can tossed into the trash in a sit-com.
Not like the good old days. Now James Bond movies; there's a fine selection of the up-front, in-your-face and frankly-proud-of-it type of corporate sponsorship that I like. Watching Roger Moore slide behind the wheel of a Lotus makes me want to do anything, *anything,* other than every actually buy one of those hideous cars. But at least the message was loud and clear; "Buy this car, wear these cream flared pants and you too can shag your brains out in Bermuda." I don't care what kind of PDA Timothy Dalton tosses into his hand luggage moments before he seduces the entire female crew of an ocean liner, I'm not going to buy one and if I was, I wouldn't want the same as him, thank-you-very-much.
I suppose that I should be grateful that advertisers are trying harder to win over my business and being less obtrusive about it. Still, I find it disconcerting that I come out of a Sly Stallone action movie and wonder if I should start using some kind of depilatory cream for my thighs, or turn off an episode of Teletubbies and find myself unaccountably hungry for "Big Daddy Pork Sausages." Well, ok, those are clearly wildly unlikely examples, but you get my point. Right? Big Daddy? Cos you *know* Turkey just aint good enough for Tinky Winky. He needs a full pork sausage.
There was also the recent righteous indignation concerning one of the UK's leading mystery writers putting together a short novel set in, and around, a particular department store in order to promote the store. The one-off novel looks like it'll actually be a commercial success in its own right, provoking all sorts of outrage that something as sacred as a novel should be prostituted to the filthy demands of advertisers and PR marketeers.
I've always wondered why video game developers don't sell advertising space actually in-game. I mean, the people playing the latest First Person Shooter must be an ideal (and attentive) audience for all sorts of consumer durables, soft drinks and other, 'life-style' products. Instead of healing packs in Quake V, just have the hero grab a can of Mountain Dew. And about Lara Croft's chest? Stick a Pepsi logo on there and watch sales soar.
I don't suppose it's any great evil, in the end, as long is it's unobtrusive and doesn't detract from the product in question, whether that's a movie, game, magazine or web site. That being said, I'd like to make it clear that I have received no monies whatsoever for the above mentions of Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Lotus Cars, Big Daddy Pork Sausages.
However, should any of the above organizations wish to make a small donation towards future columns, I'll be happy to work in a few subtle references. Mmmm. Big Daddy, when you just need that extra inch of meat.