Quickly after debuting in October of 2005, Desperate Housewives became one of the most popular shows among women on television. The show follows a circle of stylish women living in the suburban neighborhood of Wisteria Lane. Women all of the country (including myself) waiting patiently all week for the show on Sunday. I watch the show with friends and sometimes family. In addition to the plot, we remark on what the women are wearing and using. Marketers caught on. Product placement soon became a major component of the show. Women all over the world wanted to wear Gabrielle’s high heels, purchase Bree’s top-of-the-line kitchen appliances, and drive Lynette’s mini-van. Product placement also allows smaller advertisers to associate their brands the show committing the tens of millions of dollars a national ad campaign would cost.

Delivery Agent, a company which builds, hosts, and manages online sales for over 100 entertainment properties, recently created the website SeenOn.com. The website is devoted to product placement and gives consumers an opportunity to buy the exact items used in their favorite television shows, magazines, and movies. On the website, Consumers can browse by television show, episode, product brand, product type, and even character. ABC is now capitalizing on the nation’s fascination with the housewives. Consumers are able to log onto the website and see what their favorite housewife is wearing. About 150 items are listed per show and visitors to the site can Delivery Agent CEO, Mike Fitzsimmons remarked that, “Today, it’s a two-step process: You watch a show on TV and go online to complete a transaction.” [http://http://broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6372780.html?display=News]

In the near future, viewers will be able to use interactive products for digital cable and buy the products they see with their remote control. To me, this is an incredible opportunity. I love online shopping but it's hard to tell what the products actually look like and how they fit. By seeing them on my favorite celebrities, I can judge how much I will like them. Although we all understand that product placement is paid for by corporations and celebrities often don't actually use the products, product placement seems to be more personal. We develop relationships with characters and will eventually develop relationships with the products they use. Product placement is here to stay!