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Having a degree in advertising makes you exceptionally aware of advertisements. Someone mentioned to me once that I watch commercials with just as much interest as I do when I watch the show itself! Anyway, I was watching Ugly Betty last night, when I came to realize the type of advertisement I hate the most: the product placement.

I know they're trying to ram that idea into your head by making it appear subtle, but it's not subtle. It's painfully obvious. I really started to notice it when Survivor first came out - on one episode, the reward challenge prize was a gift basket full of bathing essentials that was "parachuted in" from Target. The winning team was clever enough to use the parachute (which had a giant Target logo on it) to make shelter, so every time the team was shown on the program, it was an ad for Target. In other reward challenges they would win random snacks of things like Doritos and Mountain Dew - probably the last things I would want after not eating for days, but if they're paying for air time, I guess you eat it.

On this week's episode of Ugly Betty, Betty tries to win back Gio's approval by acquiring some rare Italian cheese for him (he had tried to get some in Rome, but it was confiscated at customs). When it arrives at Mode, Amanda mentions how one slice of the cheese is probably much worse than her whole drawer of Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers lunches. You've probably seen similar commercials: people are whining about the crap they eat at lunch, when someone opens a desk drawer to reveal a whole pile of Healthy Choice lunches. Well, this was the same thing.Another one that annoys the hell out of me is when they do it on Jon & Kate Plus 8. I can't find a clip of it, but one day when they were waiting for something, Jon and Kate pulled out the kids' new VSmile and they waxed poetic about how wonderful it was while the screen showed the kids playing with it. You could tell it was planned because Kate sucks at reading stuff (listen to her monotone voice in the opening bit). I'm willing to bet that those kids don't ask to play with the thing ever again - it probably comes out when Mom and Dad want to make some money.

I'm also guessing that people talking about the awkwardness is a good thing too - sure, Amanda was weird about flashing all those Healthy Choice lunches, but people gawked about it the next day, which spread the name around. That's the weird thing about advertising - ads may be memorable because they're annoying, but at least they're memorable!