UK Product Placement Logo, Rules Revealed

The British media oversight authority, Ofcom, has revealed the logo and rules for the launch of product placement in UK television programming starting Feb. 28.

According to Ofcom, which regulates TV advertising in the UK, the logo — which can be used in either of the variations above — must:

• Appear for three seconds at the start and end of each program containing product placement, and immediately following each commercial break;

• Appear in one of the four corners of the screen;

• Not overlap or otherwise conflict with channel logos or in-program identity marks;

• Meet minimum-size requirements, which an Ofcom spokesman tells Brand Republic means it will be "roughly equivalent to the size of a channel logo."

Product placement will not be allowed in children’s and news programming, and in UK-produced current affairs and religious programmes.

Products that are barred from UK product placement under the new rules include tobacco, alcohol, gambling, foods or drinks that are high in fat, sale and sugar, medicines, baby formula milk and weapons.

UK consumers, who have already experienced it through shows imported from the US, are already as accepting of product placement as the US counterparts, according to research by The Nielsen Company.

Nielsen found that 26% of TV viewers who remembered a product said it improved their opinion of the brand, compared to 29% of US viewers.

Just 1% - or 2% in the US – said it lowered their opinion. 24% of UK viewers thought product placement actually improved a show, while just 2% said it lowered their opinion of a show.