It’s that time again where we notice the Microsoft products perfectly placed in the images our tube is projecting into our living rooms. It’s been quite a while since our last Not So Subtle Product Placement post, so we definitely have missed some along the way, but we’ve got two shows placed a Microsoft product in them recently (somewhat, okay not really at all…) for this week’s post — and we think you’ll like it.
As always, do not under any circumstances read this post unless you’re up to date with the following shows and if you know of any Microsoft product placement we’ve missed, make sure to contact us!
Bing on Chuck
The setup:
In the season four finale of Chuck, Chuck’s soon-to-be wife Sarah is withering away into death because their former arch nemesis’ daughter, who has now become their current arch nemesis, used “The Device” to kill her. “The Device” is… well, a device… that uses someone’s DNA to target them and kill them, sonically, I’m guessing. Since Vivian Volkoff (the daughter and current nemesis) used it from halfway around the world, it doesn’t work as instantly as it should have. Thus, Sarah is sent into a life-threatening fever with only 24 hours to live.
Chuck then makes it his mission (literally, this is a spy show after all) to find the antidote, but to do this he has to track down and break Alexei Volkoff (the father and former nemesis) out of federal prison.
Where the product placement comes in:
Since The Eraser, a new character set to be Chuck’s main obstacle this entire episode, is moving Alexei from one prison to another, Chuck figures the best way to bust him out is while they’re on the move. He he gears up his motorcycle while his team member, Casey, and his mom, Mary, try to locate where he is in relation to Alexei back at Castle, their base.
Naturally, Mary uses Bing to find a map of California. And as a true mother would, she searches the term “ca map” instead of clicking on the “Maps” tab on the right. It’s a good thing she had that Bing page up because it’s not like the CIA has any maps at their disposal or anything. Regardless, she succeeds and Bing brings up a map of Victorville, California. Fantastic! Now Sarah doesn’t have to die from a DNA-using, sonically-murderous, poison-thing of some kind. Well, except that there’s a catch or two left.
How subtle, or not subtle, is it?
Subtle? Not at all. Why exactly would Mary need to look up a map of Victorville on Bing? Bing isn’t going to tell you where Alexei is. Bing isn’t going to tell you where Chuck is. Bing is just going to give you a map so that you know where streets and locations are. Other than that, there is absolutely no use for it here.
And in that case, there is no reason to be searching for a map.
Windows Live Photo Gallery on 90210
The setup and where the product placement comes in:
If I’m being honest, I don’t exactly watch 90210, but was going to at least watch this episode to find out what the setup was and everything. Zunited’s own Javier told me, in an email, “don’t bother.” I tend to listen when people say that about teen dramas like 90210 (cue the hate mail). Instead, I’ll tell you the setup in Javier’s own words:
The girl, Naomi, was trying to [write] an essay for a class, otherwise she’ll go to summer school after her senior year. And her nerd boyfriend Max was trying to help her do the essay. And that’s when [Windows Live] Photo Gallery appears; when she was supposed to be working on the essay, she was messing around with pics.
And there you have it.
How subtle, or not subtle, is it?
Let me get this straight: a teenager uses her laptop for recreational purposes instead of doing actual schoolwork, and she’s messing around with pictures and she’s a girl (well, otherwise “she” would be a “guy” and that could get confusing). Uh, yes, this has to be the best use of product placement (and most subtle) ever. Not only that, but it seems like Microsoft actually got them to show off a feature; Max’s eyes are closed and then she fixes it with another image in which his eyes are open.
With all respect to being PC, girls (okay, some guys, too) would otherwise just crop him out because they look way too good in the picture to have it ruined by the other person. This is perfect. Props on finding a product that would integrate well; at least Naomi wasn’t just Binging(?) something. I don’t grade subtleties but… oh, what the heck, A+!
Microsoft-branded laptops
It’s a complicated issue about what laptop you should use if you don’t make laptops. It’s easy for Apple; for Microsoft, not so much. That’s why Microsoft came up with the Lenovo Microsoft-branded laptop. It’s black. It’s a Lenovo. And it sports a Microsoft sticker on the back. (Note: we don’t actually know if it’s a sticker.)
Here they are in both Chuck and 90210, whether they’re subtle or not is up to you:
