According to the National Audiovisual Council of Romania, product placement means any kind of commercial communication consisting of inserting a product, a service or the brands of such services or products or reference made to them, in a program in exchange for payment or similar consideration.

Product placement is the alternative to classic TV commercials, broadcasted during TV breaks. The difference between the two techniques of TV communication and promotion is significant. Product placement is done while the TV program is running and within it, when the viewer is emotionally involved and is trapped in front of the TV set and not during commercial breaks, when viewers often go to visit their… refrigerator. Moreover, PP attracts and keeps the viewer’s attention on the product, which can become a “character” and can be “animated” on the TV screen.

The products can be inserted even in shows produced in the past, which are then rerun. So advertisers can exploit promotional opportunities in reruns, even if they have not been involved in the initial production. Virtual inserts can be changed from episode to episode.

Magic Ads’ products for product placement are:

• Magic Product – insertion of a 3D animation representing a product within the frame of a live TV show.
• Magic Logo – insertion of a logo within a TV frame –  live or in post-production. 

Magic Ads uses equipment and software made by the Swedish company Hego, a prestigious provider of virtual graphics solutions for TV industry. The equipment used by Magic Ads and made by Hego, called AKI Virtual Placement, is by far the most advanced and powerful tool dedicated to virtual placement on the market, for live or assembled broadcasts (post-production).

AKI Virtual Placement is based only on image processing and it does not need any sensors or specials heads for TV cameras. It is easy to use and the calibration can be made very quickly, the only elements needed being the video signal and the reference signal. The system recognizes the camera movements (zooming, panning, travelling) and allows the operator to insert with accuracy the virtual graphics showing the product.

Beer cans, shampoo bottles, coffee cans, cereal boxes and many more can be virtually placed in the TV studio. The possibilities of creating real time video effects are almost limitless: integrated graphics within a TV frame, warping and distortions.

Product placement is done during the popular TV program and not during commercial breaks, which viewers often skip! Moreover, inserts can be made when the show reaches the highest rating, even during the golden minute! Why not! Thus, advertisers benefit from the real rating of the show right at that moment! This translates into the most efficient and competitive CPT in the industry!

Products are inserted during the programs, right in the thick of the action, when viewers are emotionally involved and they do not want to lose anything! Basically they are trapped in front of the TV! So they will not change the channel because they are watching their favorite program and will not leave the TV, as is often the case during commercial breaks, when they go to visit… the refrigerator.

And they have another reason for this… As we create true moments of show and “virtual” entertainment, the viewers will naturally enjoy it! They will certainly not want to miss such graphics “delight”.

The product is inserted in the show in a natural way, and viewers will not skip the ads, as often happens with commercial breaks.

Product exposure can be controlled from the point of view of duration and positioning within the TV frame. In the case of recorded productions, advertisers even have the opportunity to analyze the best moment and context to place their ads. Basically, advertisers have to answer 3 questions – the 3 W:

1. What product to advertise?

2. Where – location in the frame?

3. When – point in the broadcast?

Virtually placed products will remain in the viewer’s mind for a long time after the show has ended. In addition, it will also be the topic of discussion after the broadcast:

“Hey! Did you see how that bottle of shampoo appeared next to that blonde TV hostess? I thought that they were going to wash her hair right there on the stage, on the show? How did they do that?”

So… Viewers will immediately notice the product and when they go shopping they will remember where they have seen it before… and they will probably buy it! We basically create the “purchase intent”, in other words, the advertising that sells!

The same product can be used in different scenes or productions. Now you can place your product in locations that were once impossible or difficult to reach: on the bottom of a pool, on the ice of the ring, on a 30 floor building and even… on the Moon. All you need is some imagination. Magic Ads gets there!

As part of the show, the inserted brands or products will easily be associated with the program and its stars. This can even create the “purchase intent” which is any advertiser’s target.

The animations and the messages used for the product placement can be changed easily without excessive production costs, according to the communication stage of the project (advertising campaign). Updates or adjustments can be made without great efforts and with much less effort than changing a regular TV commercial.

Virtual product placement works on guaranteed rating and generates a high level of recall among consumers. Not to mention the most accurate CPT of the media industry… So, here you have cost-effective advertising that sells!