A few years back, I noted the rules of product placement when your mobile phone is being used to make bombs. Last night I was watching Arrow and saw a not-so-inconspicuous use of the Microsoft Surface tablet. This one’s win-win:
For Microsoft, they get some exposure. Well, kind of, because…
For the TV show, they get a futuristic touch screen interface that most people have never seen, without having spend any money inventing it (and in fact, I’m assuming, getting paid for it.)
I’ll admit, I was tempted by the Surface Pro, though in the end it didn’t do enough that my MacBook Air with VMWare Fusion couldn’t do (the review on Penny Arcade was epic, but I had to remind myself that I don’t draw.) Knowing I could use it to fight crime was a minor swaying point, but what pulled me the other way was the idea that the install base is so low* that it might as well be a fictional device.
Because here’s the thing: does showcasing a product on a show about a guy who fights crime with a bow and arrow make it more legitimate, or simply more fanciful?
NO! No, #Arrow. No master computer hacker is using Windows 8. That is the lamest product placement I’ve EVER SEEN! #Windows8
— Unreality TV (@UnrealityUSA) April 4, 2013
* 400K in the first month isn’t terrible, but I don’t know if it’s the start or end of a trend.