Photo: ABC

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) – ”One Life to Live” receives promotional consideration from the Hershey’s Company. 

Product placement is nothing new for television.  However it has largely remained absent on the various daytime drama, until recently that is.   But with a sagging economy, companies are looking for new and creative ways to advertise their products and boost sales.  And what better place than the fictional town of Llanview, Pennsylvania?

In recent weeks we have seen Roxy Balsom and her obsession with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Todd Manning talking about Kit Kat bars, Stacy Morasco munching on Twizzlers during a conversation with gal pal Kim Andrews, Brody Lovett eyeing a bowl of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars meant for trick-or-treating stopping by Llanfair (even grabbing one on his way out the door), and Gigi Morasco ordering her son to Shane to place their Halloween candy into goodie bags and save her some Kit Kat’s and Twizzler’s.   

Fans of “One Life to Live,” along with its sister soaps “All My Children” and “General Hospital” have witnessed a surge in product placement in recent years for the Walt Disney Corporation (the parent company of ABC), in the form of posters, stuffed animals, and references to movies produced by Disney.  Every February all three daytime dramas team up with Campbell’s Soup to promote their products and raise awareness of heart disease. And Florida Orange Juice has in the past subtly advertised their products on ”AMC.”   However, “OLTL” was largely immune from product placement by outside companies until recently. 

According to Myers Publishing, producat placement is “one of the fastest-growing advertising media. In 2009, $9 billion will be spent in the space, growing 4% from the previous year and accounting for 4.5% of the total media share.”

But does it actually work?  Will viewers be more inclined to purchase a product if they see their favorite characters using it?  Not really, according to a recent survey by BIGresearch, who concludes that ”The method worked best for grocery items (such as branded soft drinks), with nearly 15% of consumers believing such placements influenced their purchases, followed by electronics, apparel, home improvement and restaurants. African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians tended to be more influenced by placements than whites. ”

Adam Erlebacher of the brand integration service, PlaceVine, warns that product placement can also have a negative effect. “You don’t know what’s going to happen.  Maybe the hero drinks a branded soft drink in one scene, then it’s used as a murder weapon later.” 

“Seeing a product on the big (or small) screen might boost a brand’s image, or harm it, but either way it may not increase sales. Of course, you could say the same about seeing an ad,” adds the website eMarketer.   

And a fall 2008 GfK Roper survey found that less than fewer than one-third of Internet users who participated in the study thought product placements were “’quite acceptable,’ and 36% found them annoying. In contrast, 42% and 37% of respondents said TV commercials were acceptable and annoying, respectively.”  They also found that the majority of consumers find product placements in their favorite television programs to be “bothersome.” 

So will seeing the citizens of Llanview enjoying Hershey’s chocolate products make you run out to the grocery store?  All I can say is, “break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar.” 

“One Life to Live” airs Weekdays on ABC. Weeknights on SOAPnet. Check local listings.

Tags: ABC, All My Children, Campbell's Soup, Disney, Florida Orange Juice, General Hospital, Halloween, Hershey's, One Life to Live, SOAPnet

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