Problems in Product Placement on Telenovelas

So far, the web novelas produced by Univision and Telemundo have been heavy on sponsor plugs, light on drama.  Kate del Castillo’s web novela ARRANQUE DE PASIÓN took the clever step of setting its drama amidst the world of NASCAR, where the sponsorship of the vehicles can tie-in with the show’s sponsors less obtrusively.  Nevertheless, there were still shots of Kate applying Mary Kay cosmetics and sending cash via Western Union.  When each installment of these web novelas average about 8 minutes in length, the 15 to 30 seconds it takes for the product placements end up eating a far too large percentage of air time, the drama of a story is forced to share near equal time, and thus importance, with the commercials.

 

This is not a problem in the product placement that litters the telenovelas on television.  Product plugs are so commonplace now as to no longer inspire a raised eyebrow, except in rare instances where characters suddenly begin spouting adspeak.

The product placement is usually harmless enough – supporting character buying lunch at Subway and the like.

Recently, however, there was a terrible miscalculation in the employment of product placement on Telemundo’s telenovela PASIÓN PROHIBIDA in the midst of a momentous moment in that novela’s story that actually undermined the drama.

In the story, Bianca (Mónica Spear) and Bruno (Jencarlos Canela) are passionately drawn to each other, a problem as Bianca is married to Bruno’s uncle Ariel, who has raised Bruno like a son.  Bianca and Bruno have had several hot and heavy encounters where they come close to consummating their passion, but have always stopped themselves, guilty of betraying Ariel.  Finally, on this night, their passion overwhelms them.

The scene as it plays on the telenovela has  Bianca moping about, hurt and jealous because that night Bruno went out with another girl.  Bianca is stalking through the night, restless, waiting for him to return.  When he does, they exchange a look, which is ambiguous.  She walks off toward Ariel’s workroom, the same room where Bianca and Bruno had their first kiss.  Bruno follows her.

It is at this point that there is a commercial break.  The first ad in the break is for the Toyota automobile that Bianca hid behind when Bruno came home.  The premise of the ad is we now see how each of the characters interpreted the other’s look.  Needless to say, the ambiguity is removed and we are now treated to fairly crass, obvious come-ons from the characters, the heady atmosphere and suspense within the novela, vitiated.

Telenovela Watch - Pasión Prohibida

This week's Telenovela Watch looks at the first weeks of PASION PROHIBIDA, the most intriguing Miami-produced novela in years.  An intricate chess match starring Mónica Spear, Rebecca Jones, Jencarlos Canela, Roberto Vander, Carmen Aub and Mercedes Molto – all excellent - it's the closest thing to a chamber play Telemundo has ever done.

My only concern is will Telemundo’s viewers respond to a story focused on ambiguity, where the violence is emotional rather than literal, PP is so unlike the rest of the network’s programming - lurid tosh rife with grisly torture and murders, sensationalistic bloodletting moving ever closer to the so-called torture pornography of the cinema, where a woman can be murdered with an electric drill, brain matter can splatter on a wall and a pregnant woman can have her baby kicked out of her.  If PASIÓN PROHIBIDA, doesn’t find an audience, will it degenerate into the network’s standard bunk; if we see narcos suddenly intrude on the proceedings around episode 50, we’ll have our answer, though it would be a shame to see something with potential of quality go to pot.