As Seen on TV (and in Movies): How Product Placement Affects Our Shopping Habits

As the clock ticks down to the LOST series finale, I'm personally feeling a sense of relief.  Yeah, I'll miss Sawyer, Locke, Desmond and Hurley (especially Hurley!), but this last season has definitely left me feeling WTF? and I'm really ready for it to be over.  It also seems like there's no way possible, after 6-7 years of twists and turns, flashbacks and flash forwards, that the show can end well.  And by that, I mean that I can't see how the writers can possibly live up to the fan-induced hype and come up with an ending that won't disappoint a large number of people.

Of course that doesn't mean I won't be glued to my TV set come Sunday evening.

For those of you unwilling to let go of the show about the plane crash castaways, Shop ABC TV has an assortment of fan merchandise like LOST Bobbleheads or a variety of Dharma gear.  Or for the die hard fan, LOST props--like Locke's knives or Charlie's acoustic guitar--are being put up for auction this summer.

Media has long fueled consumer appetites.  Even before Clark Gable removed his shirt in "It Happened One Night" to reveal a bare chest--subsequently causing the sales of undershirts to take a dive--the celebrity factor has been used to influence what we drive, wear, eat, drink and smoke. 

But while in the past this was accomplished via advertising, the increased use of the DVR to fast forward past commercials has forced marketers to infiltrate deeper with product placement.  A recent post on Consumerist posits that the upcoming Sex and the City 2 is nothing but a one long commercial.  Of course the show itself was pretty much a love letter to Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo and whatever objet de fashion du jour Carrie Bradshaw happened to be sporting.  But while watchers of the TV series had to rely on fellow fashionistas to help them identify and locate the cute clutch our plucky heroine was carrying in the latest episode, moviegoers can shop the Sex and the City closet (a website created specifically to satiate the lust generated by SATC2 for apparel and accessories featured) for styles inspired by the film.

Sex and the City isn't the only TV show that inspired fashion frenzies--fans of Desperate Housewives will search high and low for "Susan Mayer's blouse," Jane Seymour caused a stir with a custom-made necklace she wore on Dancing with the Stars (which eventually led to a deal with Kay Jewelers) and soapy serial dramas like Gossip Girl and Melrose Place keep viewers tuning in as much for their designer wardrobes as for their melodramatic story lines.  The phenomenon of aspirational purchasing influenced by TV is captured by the SeenON! blog which helps viewers identify and even access the clothes and accessories worn by their favorite TV characters.

Another source for appeasing the fashion lust inspired by movies and TV is It's a Wrap, a second-hand clothing store offering wardrobe cast-offs with two locations in the Los Angeles area.  Recently featured on WalletPop, It's a Wrap offers the general public the opportunity to purchase actual wardrobe and props from movie and TV sets--via their stores, website or by auction. 

And speaking of auctions, on June 10th - 12th, Profiles in History (the same company that's handling the LOST auction) will be conducting an auction of Hollywood memorabilia featuring the prison shirt Morgan Freeman's character Red wore in The Shawshank Redemption, the pink satin gown Marilyn Monroe wore while singing Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and the Riddler costume from the Batman TV show.

Not exactly stuff you'd be wearing out to drink cosmos with your BFFs, but there you have it.

Have you ever been inspired to buy something you've seen on a TV show or in a movie?  Or to own a piece of collectible memorabilia from a beloved series?  Let us know in the comments!