The product placement rot sets in seriously

An article in AdAge reports that Black Book, a quirky, but seriously contending U.S. lifestyle mag, recently crossed -- nay leapt -- across the church/state line with an editorial item about a band that had featured in a Hummer commercial, with the edit featuring the Hummer in the display. (To read the whole story, click on the heading of this item.)

“There was and is absolutely no quid pro quo,” said Eric Gertler, CEO at Black Book Media. “Great editors know that great ideas come from a multitude of sources and great editors need to know how to frame those ideas and know that they are free of any outside influence.”

But, as AdAge pointed out, since Black Book conceived of, sold and ran the article, there never would have been an item without the magazine's initiation.