CSI: Sales Pitch

Crime scene
Originally uploaded by Daveybot.

As far as the mobile content market goes the hottest items are still games and ring tones. So perhaps it was wise of Coldplay to catch the wave and give some momentum to sales of their latest single Talk by integrating the single/ring tone into a recent episode of CSI: NY. I couldn't find any record of whether this "trick" worked for Coldplay's ring tone sales but I was kinda grossed out at how poorly the product was integrated into the script.

Officer Danny Messer's phone rings and his colleague says "Hey! Is that Coldplay?" "Yeah" he answers, as they move to a lengthy close-up shot of his mobile screen with text that says "Cindy calling". Messer continues, "It's their new single, Talk, something my girlfriend does too much".

Is that supposed to be witty? Am I just offended because I'm a girl, or because the advertising was too blatantly thrown in my face when I was least expecting it? I'm sure most people watching were thrown off by this, which means the show isn't doing its job of engaging its audience and loses some integrity along the way. The product does as well.

Consumers are smart and want to be entertained (all the way through) while they are being sold too. Advertising that is funny or witty goes much further. Interrupting the program with a cheap sales pitch is just an insult.