The Reality of Product Placement

We are bombarded by advertising on television and in movies through product placement. It's the price we pay for stepping away from traditional ads and commercials. Sometimes the products are just a bit too in-your-face, like a recent program I saw that had two main characters debate the finer points of Doritos. Sigh.

Books aren't immune to these hidden ads. There was a huge controversy a few years ago when author Fay Weldon was commissioned by Bulgari to write a book that would feature Bulgari products.
But here is a product placement I can get behind: The Los Angeles Times reports that Parks & Recreation will showcase Vroman's Bookstore in an October episode. The storyline focuses on the main character, Leslie Knope, as she tours the country promoting her new book, Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America, with a stop at Vroman's in Pasadena, Calif.
In a fun reality twist, publishing house Hyperion actually is releasing Knope's book on Oct. 4 in trade paperback.
My favorite part about the entire stunt, though, is having an independent bookstore as a film set. Vroman's will benefit from the exposure, and the show will put the spotlight directly on the independents at a time when they need it most.
And who knows, perhaps I'll review Knope's book in an upcoming post. Okay, maybe not. But I guarantee I won't post about why I like Doritos' original flavor more than the Cool Ranch version.