What do you do if you’re a major celebrity with a bunch of tech endorsement contracts that don’t quite line up with the advertising relationships implicit in the hit sitcom you’ve just signed up for? If you’re Ashton Kutcher, you try to subtly plug them anyway.
The Washington Post reports that the laptop used by Ashton Kutcher’s character on Two And A Half Men was seen sporting a number of interesting logos on the back of it. Nothing terribly wrong with that per se; lots of folks like decorating their laptops after all. Where it gets interesting is when you examine the stickers more closely. Foursquare. Flipboard. Hipmunk. GroupMe. Chegg. What do all these companies have in common?
They’re all companies in which Kutcher is said to have investments or financial relationships. Again, this kind of product placement might pass without notice, except that Kutcher allegedly affixed the stickers to the laptop (or, more likely, had one of his PAs do it) without approval from CBS. CBS did not approve of Kutcher giving out what amounts to free advertising; only the Foursquare endorsement was noted in the show’s credits. It was initially suspected that any future airings would see the decals subtly blurred out, but it now seems like that won’t be the case.
Or in other words, Ashton Kutcher can get away with plugging anything from his overly opulent trailer. I wonder if I should send him a Gizmodo Au sticker?
[Washington Post via TV Tonight via PopSugar]
Image: TVTonight
Norgan
Friday, September 30, 2011 at 10:14 AMWhat about the iMac and iPhone he is using?
adam
Friday, September 30, 2011 at 10:32 AMDo you mean Macbook? because that isn’t one.
Barry
Friday, September 30, 2011 at 10:32 AMYou can get Gizmodo.au stickers???
Alex Kidman
Friday, September 30, 2011 at 11:42 AMNot… yet. But it feels like something that should be on my action list.
EckyThump
Friday, September 30, 2011 at 10:48 AMDoesn’t really matter! The show just isn’t the same without the “freak monster” in it! Maybe it will gather momentum and morph into another show, but without Sheen it a different show altogether! #{
Steve
Friday, September 30, 2011 at 11:11 AMDo not care to watch without Sheen.
Joeh
Friday, September 30, 2011 at 11:54 AMSubtle? About as subtle as his dead-eyed-simply-going-through-the-motions monologue about the Fisker Karma he was driving during that episode. Product integration has become painfully blatant these days, the giant episode length ad for Subway/Toyota oh err I mean the TV show Chuck is a prime example.
I guess they’ve gotta work advertising in somewhere since we’re all skipping ads or “acquiring” copies which are already ad free.
I actually found the first episode of Kutchers Two and a Half somewhat humourous, with the recent additions though…..Never again.
con
Friday, September 30, 2011 at 1:06 PMgizmodo stickers , do it, do it ,just do it, do it
poedgirl
Friday, September 30, 2011 at 1:26 PMGIZMODO.AU STICKERS!!
While you’re at it, the other Allure brands would be good too.
Just This Guy ...
Friday, September 30, 2011 at 3:00 PMDammit. I’m missing out on so much subliminal (or even supraliminal) advertising and all because I just don’t rot my mind watching drivel on the telly.
Ash
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 9:45 AMH’es a business man first and an actor second, as most are. Big whoop and good on him from sneaking in some free advertising when he can.