Literature or Advertising? Hmmm...
In today's New York Times, there's an interesting article about product placement in books for children and teens. I mean, we all know that the mentioning of particular products is very common in books, and maybe it even adds realism in some way.
But mentioning products and receiving sponsorship money from said companies is a whole 'nother thing, especially when it comes to books for kids. Is it fair to bombard children with advertising in the guise of literature? And is it ethical for authors or publishers to receive money for doing so, especially when the readers aren't always aware of such arrangements?
Check out the article and then come back and let us know what you think!
~Coe~
But mentioning products and receiving sponsorship money from said companies is a whole 'nother thing, especially when it comes to books for kids. Is it fair to bombard children with advertising in the guise of literature? And is it ethical for authors or publishers to receive money for doing so, especially when the readers aren't always aware of such arrangements?
Check out the article and then come back and let us know what you think!
~Coe~
posted by coe booth at 6:45 AM
20 Comments:
I've been thinking about this recently. I threw myself a BIG book launch party that involved equipment rentals, deejays, rappers, break dancers, and some food. Normally I'd get sponsors to offset a lot of those costs, but I felt really protective of my fledgling audience, and found it was nearly impossible to think of a sponsor that would not take advantage of them-- for instance, most breaking events these days are sponsored by energy drinks, but those drinks capitalize on youth, and are packed with high fructose corn syrup and caffeine.
I can only see this getting more complicated and unsavoury should sponsors be shoehorned inserted into an actual book. I don't think I could pull it off.
I am probably going to be in the minority on this subject, but I do not have a problem with this sort of thing...as long as the quality of the writing comes first, the product placement second. And there is a natural flow.
For example, if I have a character in my novel who listens to his iPod all the time, what's wrong with getting some money from Apple for the product placement? If Apple says no, what's wrong with changing it to a Zune and going to Microsoft for an endorsement? It doesn't detract from the writing and it gets really tough saying "mp3 player" all the time, especially when very few people call it that.
It's hard enough as it is to make a living as an author. My opinion is it's fine as long as it does not detract from the quality of the prose. Okay, y'all, open fire!
everyone used to that the alloy books got paid sponsorship, but while i worked there, they did not.
Technically, I think the example that eluper gives is sound...
... but even more technically, I don't think you can change an iPod to a Zune without also changing the character who carries it. Zune is nowhere near as generic as iPod, nor as desirable. Like trying to swap a Prius or Beetle or Mini for a Chevrolet Aveo, it would stand out like a sore thumb, which is where the issue gets messy, IMHO.
I think I'd sooner ask for Apple money, then make up a brand if I couldn't get it.
How would you charge for that anyway? One time fee? Royalty per book printed or sold? If I sold a sponsorhip for a one time fee, and then my book turned out to be Harry Potter popular, I'd feel like I cheated myself.
I agree with Jill-- I've never even heard of a Zune.
I feel like it's one thing if you mention Clinique in your book and your publisher contacts Clinique and Clinique is like, yay, let's team up! Then that to me is legit and doesn't feel shady. But to go and seek it out, I don't know. We're not making billboards here, we're making books.
ICK. That's how I feel about it.
Kids aren't stupid. They'd smell a false note and realize the author was jamming in product placements somewhere that is supposed to be FREE of advertisement -- literature.
SAVE THE BOOKS! PLEASE! Keep something sacred. If you mention a brand name, do it because it's important to the story or the character, not to make a few extra bucks.
Oh, I am sooo with you, Caroline. It just feels so slimy to do something like that, especially when you're dealing with children (who are already overly marketed to!)
I mean, we are trying to write literature here, not sell products. I would just feel icky if I ever did something like that.
Totally agree. Product placement is okay but only if it's 100% organic and natural to the character, not just thrown in there for capital gain.
I just don't see why this is needed. There is already enough advertising geared toward Teens especially tweens, with magazines, and TV. Also lets not forget peer pressure to have whats in. Right now this sounds like its going to effect girls more than boys. I can image more girls struggling to keep up with the It girls. I don't think Apple would pay for product placement for an IPOD, b/c its an IPOD and teens already know what it is. The Zune is kinda like the ZIMA of players. Does anyone remember that SNL skit?
Doret
The Zima skit was actually from MadTV. It was Stuart's drink of choice
Doret
Hope you all don't mind if I post a little bit from my blog rant today.
Reading -- unlike watching television or a movie -- is intimate. It is a relationship. We ask readers to open their hearts and their minds to new ideas. We ask them to trust us as we take them on a journey that challenges them, that might even change who they are just a bit. We even ask them to do half of the work -- taking our prose and internalizing it enough to see and hear and feel what we can only point to with our words. For books to work, both sides need to admit some vulnerability and to engage without reservation in the creation of story. It is a betrayal to ask readers to become vulnerable in that way and then slip in an ad for Diet Pepsi. And it is especially corrupt to do this to kids.
This issue is really important to me. I feel like kids need at least one safe space away from a culture that treats them as consumers-in-training.
Thanks for using your blog to let people hash this out.
Well said, Linda. I totally agree. If books become just another commercial for the product of the day, what's next?
Have you ever read the book Fast Food Nation? It talks a lot about how kids are marketed to, even in school!
Let's keep books sacred!
:-)
Okay, I feel obligated to come back to this issue. Please let me clarify.
I am in the process of writing a novel in which my MC is obsessed with brand names. It is difficult to write a book of this nature without using real live brands. If I tried to make up brand names, it would come out sounding ridiculous and teens would immediately reject it.
That being said, what's the difference if I get a few bucks from a company for the mention of their product ? It needs to be there for the intergrity of the character, so who cares if money changed hands behind the scenes?
Please do not take this as I'm seeking endorsements for product placement in my novel. I'm not.
Look at the movie, E.T.. Spielberg went to M&M/Mars for a product endorsement and they said NO. So, he went to Reeces and had them fork over a ton of money. All of a sudden, E.T. loved Reeces Pieces instead.
Did it matter what candy E.T. ate? I don't think so. I still cried when I saw him shriveled up on the bathroom floor. So who cares if Reeces underwrote part of the expense of the movie?
On the other hand, Cast Away with Tom Hanks was nothing more than a 2-hour advertisement for UPS. There are few scenes in that entire movie that did not refer to UPS in some way. This, I thought, was blatant abuse. And it made me want to barf.
I suppose the line is in a gray area and therein lies the difficulty. Sure, it can get very complicated, but to close that door as a potential revenue stream because it is a "complicated" issue seems closed minded.
That being said, if a company approached me and wanted me to write a novel that plugged a certain product I would be revulsed... unless, of course, there were an awful lot of zeros at the end of that check!!! Like enough to retire and provide for my kids for all time! ;-)
eluper, I essentially agree with that part of your argument.
I don't get to write full time yet, and in all honesty my other work essentially involves building elegantly engineered structures from which to hang advertising. This can get fairly depressing despite the healthy remuneration, so its mainly for that personal reason that I'd avoid seeking out sponsorship in my writing. That could change for the right product-character mix though. I'm voting yes on proposition Writers Supporting Their Children. Writing and having a Real Life (TM) is no easy feat.
PS: I had to look up ZIMA. This is pretty funny stuff:
"Zima is a "clearmalt beverage" produced by Coors sice 1992. It is essentially beer that has been filtered through charcoal to remove color and flavor, then injected with flavorings that make it taste something like a flat, metallic gin and tonic."
Yes, ZIMA was the first of many. All of those alcoholic "lemonade" drinks and alcoholic "iced tea" beverages and all those Smirnoff Ice products are all produced by filtering beer and then putting other flavors in. So, if you're into those nicely packaged beverages, just keep in mind that it's actually well-disguised beer.
Zima was very cool when I was 13.
Yes, it is extremely difficult to make a living as an author. Believe me, I know. But hawking brand names for cash is not the answer, whether it is done premeditatively or after the fact.
Once your work is "sponsored" by someone, it is no longer your own.
Caroline-- Do you feel a book is still fully your own once it is published? What about all the rights you sign away with your publishing contract? --What goes on the cover... who its marketed to and how... edits for language and other sundry issues, all to the publisher's satisfaction-- Isn't publishing itself the biggest writer sponsorship of all?
Jill - That's a very interesting point, but I consider publication more as a production and distribution partner, and not a sponsor.
An author has total control over every word in the manuscript. I don't have to agree to any editorial suggestions or to copyeditor suggestions. While it's true the author rarely has control over the cover or the marketing copy attached to the book, the contents of the book are his or hers alone.
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