NBC hasn't been able to deliver big ratings to advertisers,
but it has been able to put their products into its primetime shows more than
its broadcast rivals.
The Peacock network has four of the top 10 shows in terms of product
placements, according to new figures from Nielsen. It has the No.2 reality
show, The Biggest Loser, which had
533 occurrences of product placement during 2011. It also had the No.
1 scripted show in terms of product placement in Friday Night Lights, which was No. 8 overall. Other NBC shows in
the top 10 were The Celebrity Apprentice
at No. 3 with 391 occurrences, and America's
Got Talent, with 220 occurrences, good for seventh place.
Fox's American Idol had the most
occurrences of product placement activity with 577 in 2011. X Factor also made the list with 312
occurrences, finishing in fifth place.
ABC had two shows in the top 10 -- Dancing
with the Stars and Extreme Makeover:
Home Edition, while the CW and CBS had one apiece with America's Next Top Model and The
Amazing Race: Unfinished Business.
Nielsen also put out a list of the most remembered branded integrations in
dramas and sitcoms. No. 1 on the list happened during CBS' The Big Bang Theory on Oct. 27 when Sheldon used Purell hand
sanitizer after putting a live snake in a desk drawer. The recall index for the
integration was 271-nearly three times higher than average.
Two other integrations within Big Bang
Theory were also among the 10 most remembered. One featured Amy suggesting
the gang play the travel version of Twister and another in which Howard
commenting on the say Sheldon plays Dungeons & Dragons.
Since Subway's sponsorship of Chuck
helped keep that show on NBC, it's fitting that a scene in which Big Mike says
his kidnapping hasn't been that bad because his captors brought Subway
sandwiches, was among the most remembered integrations.
The year's most liked ads according to Nielsen were the Darth Vader ad for
Volkswagen, a Father's Day ad for Oreo and an ad for St. Jude's featuring Shaun
White and kids wearing Shaun White wide.
All three Nielsen top 10 lists can be found here.
