Ashton Kutcher slips product placement onto 'Two and a Half Men'

[Nate Wesley]

Asthon Kutcher's second episode of Two and a Half Men took a predictable ratings hit compared to the season premiere, but that's not why CBS execs are miffed. They're more irked that Kutcher placed some less-than-random stickers on the prop laptop he used in that episode: Almost all of them were logos for startups he has a financial stake in.

http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2011/09/kutcher-uses-sitcom-to-plug-his-portfolio.html

http://mashable.com/2011/09/27/ashton-kutcher-two-men-startups/

 

[Markxxx]

Here's a direct link to a screen capture of the stickers

 

[1069_KIFR]

Where?!?

 

[landtuna]

Maybe Lorre will now fire Kutcher and get someone on the show that can actually act.

 

[quadraphonic]

This is a diabolical misuse of the airwaves with which the public has entrusted CBS!!!!!!!!! [/cue commercial for revival of "57iL My Dad Says"]

 

[DToTheJ]

I'm surprised there wasn't a bug on the bottom of the screen prompting viewers to "Follow @aplusk on Twitter" during the whole show.

 

[Markxxx]

I must be getting cynical in my old age. I keep thinking, this is probably exactly what they wanted. Have Kutcher put product placement in, hope someone notices, then complain when they do. If no one had said anything about 12 people nationwide would have noticed the stickers

 

[landtuna]

Am I the only person in the USA who doesn't pay any attention to product placement?

 

[LKellerIII]

Am I the only person in the USA who doesn't pay any attention to product placement?

No. I don't think I do either. "Product placement" happens in real life. The monitor I'm looking at has a logo for "Viewmatic." The phone to the left of my monitor says "Cisco." My printer to the left of the phone says "HP." All our houses and offices have products placed all around. You might call in "passive" product placement.

When PP has any effect at all, it's when the products are in action - like the TV hero chasing a bad guy in a slick new car. If it's...say...a new Lexus - Viewers who are in the market for a luxury car might actually remember that show, and stop by the Lexus dealer for a test drive.

But just seeing some logo sitting on an appliance on the set of a TV show - doesn't work for me.

 

[landtuna]

As many times as I have watched episodes of "Two and A Half Men" I have to admit to trying to see what the products are sitting on their kitchen counter. Either I need new eyes or a new TV because, with only one or two exceptions I can't tell what they are. Sometimes when the boys are eating at the table they'll have drink cans with the logo facing the camera and other times not. Charlie most often has a beer in his hand but only my *ahem* familiarity with logos allow me to tell what it is.

None of the product placements make me run out and buy their products though. The product placers probably hate me.

 

[quadraphonic]

It would be different if he threw in an elevator speech about some of the products/services, or they scrolled a call to action, but as it is, like someone said, only 12 people in America were looking for minutiae on the set, instead of the good ol' hearty ribald gut laughs they've come to expect from many years of Two and A Half Men's finest hours.

His laptop did kind of look like a generic-product/unknown brand/free logo creator-produced stock car though. Almost like it was trying a bit[/b] too hard. Then again with that beard and that hair and the hipster doofus image, it is befitting of Kutcher's style..