Digital Media Convergence: Is the growth of product placement killing the creativity of online music videos?
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| Lady Gaga's music video 'Telephone' is subject to major product placement Source: http://blog.ajchristian.org |
Digital media convergence is one of the most recognisable trends in the modern world of media. [Digital media] convergence involves both a change in the way media is produced and a change in the way media is consumed (Dwyer 2010). Over the past decade we have seen the emergence of digital media convergence within music media and in particular, online music videos. Digital media convergence has seen numerous changes to the way music is created, the way we listen to music, the way it's formatted and the way it's sold. When music videos were first produced and aired on MTV in the 1980's, their purpose was to create something artistic while also promoting music. Today, music videos serve a different purpose. Due to the shift from television to online, music videos have become subject to advertising and product placement. As a consequence, artists are no longer making creative, authentic music videos, they're making music videos with a core purpose to sell.
The growth of music video's through digital convergence:
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| Source: http://www.extendedply.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/mtv.jpg |
Before the production of music video's, our access and interaction with music was limited to radio broadcasting, CD's, records, Broadway and live performances. Towards the 1980's, Music video television shows became popular in Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Canada, and the medium came into its own when MTV (Music Television) launched its channel dedicated to music in 1981. [Street 2011] MTV became the home of music television - all our favourite artists and songs could be watched on the one channel. MTV had strict regulations when it came to advertising - any form of product placement not associated with MTV was blurred out or completely removed. MTV's music video's slowly declined, as the company became more and more affiliated with reality television programs instead.
It wasn't until the emergence of online digital media convergence, that music video's began to rise to popularity. With the introduction of YouTube in 2006 music video audience started to move from television to online sources. 'At the forefront of web video, YouTube has been called "viral", "revolutionary" and a "phenomenon."' (Hilderbrand, 2007). We as consumers may not have seen this dramatic shift coming, but tech companies, networks and Internet providers did. "It has not only become the default site, but it is also becoming the generic term for conversational references to web video clips and sharing. (Hilderbrand 2007) YouTube's 'view-counter' gives us an idea of just how popular music video's are becoming, with some videos with views in the high millions. However, the success of music videos has come with a cost, music videos are expensive and artists are becoming more and more willing to feature product placement within their videos to help pay off expenses. As beneficial as this may be for both the artist and the advertiser, we as an audience are beginning to see music videos that lack creativity and emphasise advertising.
Why product placement occurs and why it's successful.
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Sony Ericsson featured in Avril Lavigne's 'What the Hell?' music video
Source: http://www.maximumpc.com/
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The internet has become the go-to place for expressing ideas, thoughts, interests, meeting new people being creativity and also a perfect place for advertisers to take steps in increasing audience engagement. [Sheehan, 2009] A popular form of advertising has taken place in online music video's and it's called product placement.
Product placement occurs in videos for several reasons: "placement deals are good for video producers and recording artists because they reduce the cost of producing video. They are also beneficial for advertisers because product placements in music videos have a longer shelf life than spot advertisements, have global distribution, and reach an adolescent audience." (Chang, 2003; Karrh, 1998) Product placement is most commonly found in music videos on YouTube that are associated with VEVO. VEVO is a joint music video website consisting of three major entertainment corporations: Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media which have formed a partnership with YouTube to promote their music videos. With no coincidence, do we find products from all three corporations often placed in their videos.
Here is an example of an artist and music video from YouTube/VEVO that uses product placement strategies:
((C) 2010 RCA Records, a unit of Sony Music Entertainment #VEVOCertified on January 25 2012))
Avril's video features these brands in her video:
- Converse All Stars Shoes at [0:05 -0:06 and 1:36]
- Sony Vaio laptop at [0:09]
- Sony LCD TV at [0:10]
- Her own perfume brands [0:38]
- Nike Shoes [1:36]
- Her own clothing brand Abbey Dawn at [2:15]
Product placement has become so successful because of the large audience it's reaching out to. Making reference to Avril Lavigne's music video, it's fun, catchy and Avril's a well-liked figure for many adolescents. Therefore, the use of product placement in Avril's video is likely to influence young teens to want to buy products affiliated with the singer. However, by simply watching the video we can already tell just how just how much product placement influences the creativity of music videos. The video doesn't seem like a music video at all, yet a strategic advertisement for several brands. Avril gets any expenses paid off and companies receive an increase in sales. Digital media convergence has helped music videos merge from the television screen to becoming online sensations, but it has also increased an interest for product placement which is ultimately killing the creativity of music videos. Jonathan Feldman who is the vice president at Atlantic Records "states that his label valued videos differently than it did five or 10 years ago, seeing them as more than marketing provided free to television outlets. "Before, video was definitely to showcase creativity and content, it was promotional, and today we look at video as another piece of pie and a way to generate venue"" reported by the New York Times article, 'Product Placement Grows in Music Videos'.
The verdict?
To conclude this essay, through the many signification impacts digital media convergence has had on music videos, it is clear to say that product placement has been a significantly beneficial aspect of the growth of music videos from television to online media, but it has also meant that we are no longer watching music videos which serve to promote their music creatively and originally. What we are seeing now is a new and successful way for advertisers to promote their products, in other words, we're simply watching an advertisement. As stated by Dwyer " convergence refers to process, not an endpoint" (2010) Therefore, digital media will continue to progress and change and that means that advertising and music videos will too. We are living within a convergence culture that will continue to grow. We can already see the way significant changes that have been made in regards to music media which have been raised in this essay and the future holds many more.
References:
Reading used from the Reader:
- Hilderbrand, L, 2007, ‘YouTube: Where Cultural Memory and Copyright Converge’, Film Quarterly, Vol. 61
- Dwyer, T, 2010, Media Convergence, McGraw Hill, Berkshire
Recommend reading used:
- Sheehan, K. and Morrison, D. (2009) Beyond convergence: Confluence culture and the role of the advertising agency in a changing world. [online]. Available at:http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2239/2121 [Accessed 30th August 2012].
My own research:
- Schmidt, H. (2011) From Busta Rhymes' Courvoisier to Lady Gaga's Diet Coke: Product Placement, Music Videos, and the Third-Person Effect. [online] Available at: Florida Communication Journal: http://web.ebscohost.com.simsrad.net.ocs.mq.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=3ac95dce-5c01-4831-90b0-c6be1bd4a7d5%40sessionmgr4&vid=2&hid=13 [Accessed 30th August 2012]
- Plambeck. J (2010) Product Placement Grows in Music Videos [online] The New York Times. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/business/media/06adco.html?_r=1 [Accessed 30th August 2012]
- Stelter. B (2009) Music Industry Companies Opening Video Site [online] The New York Times. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/business/media/08vevo.html [Accessed 30th August 2012]
Video content used:
((C) 2010 RCA Records, a unit of Sony Music Entertainment #VEVOCertified on January 25 2012))
Arnae Valla
MAS 110
42872170
LAB 14
3 comments:
interesting article. One thing to be careful of though is the use of the term product placement. This refers to to incentivsed placement, however in thre example of Avril's video most of it is not encentivised but rather commercially linked. Avril's Label, RCA is part of Sony Music Entertainment so this lin kis probably the reason for all the Sony products, similarly the fragrance is her own brand. Your point still stand that it is advertising, but technically it is not product placement.
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