Attached Link: http://start.earthlink.net/newsarticle?cat=1&aid=Corporate18200408120727

The blending of ads and art is mirrored by what is happening elsewhere in this capitalistic society. However, the more blatant the advertisement, the more consumers will rebel and flee. This is even becoming known to the marketers (who are seemingly impervious to restraint and common sense when it comes to product placement and who have become increasingly creative in ways to put ads constantly under our faces). This article is only the latest, and is filled with words such as ubiquity and prevalent... and a warning: ******************* "TV networks and advertisers are busily tearing down the wall that for about 40 years has separated programming from ads. Networks are scouring their schedules for places to weave brands and products into prime-time shows." *** "Whether it's called ''branded entertainment,'' ''product integration'' or ''contextualized commerce,'' product placement is taking many forms: " *** "The plugs can be so blatant that even advertisers wince. Burnett acknowledges that placement might have been ''too prevalent'' on his The Restaurant on NBC. The placements for Mitsubishi, American Express and Coors seemed ''ham-handed'' compared with Burnett's other shows, says Scott Donaton, editor of Advertising Age and author of the new book, Madison & Vine. ''If it's overdone, if it's not seamless, then you risk turning off your audience,'' he says. ''In that case, everybody loses.''" ********************** If *these* hard-boiled marketers are becoming embarrassed by the non-stop drumming, perhaps they really are afraid of losing their audience. Eyeballs can go elsewhere. The world is not yet wall to wall ads.