It always gets worse

Homo consumerus magnified.

clipped from www.npr.org Taking Product Placement Another Step by Neda Ulaby Morning Edition, September 22, 2008 · When you see giant Coke cups sitting at the fingertips of American Idol judges, that's not just product placement. That's full-fledged product integration — when a brand becomes inextricably identified with the content of a show. Scripted television is a little different. When the besuited advertising creatives of Mad Men debate their new Heineken campaign, or when Christian Slater hops behind the wheel of a particular Chevy to indicate which of his character's personalites is in play on the new show My Own Worst Enemy, you're not really supposed to notice. Instead, the company's marketers hope you've made a subtle association between shows you like and their products ... and that might inform your behavior the next time you're thirsting for a beer or contemplating a new ride.