Product Placement

I know that Richard Lee (Angling Times) does wander onto this site sometimes. If so, could he care to give his valued opinion on the sometimes blatant examples of the above that occur in his magazine? If you watch fishing programmes on TV featuring John Wilson and Rex Hunt, they will never, ever make comments on the BRAND of tackle they are using. In AT both Matt Hayes and Des Taylor will name names down to the last split shot. Des Taylor will even endorse his own product range (The Edge) in his column. Surely all articles published by these two should carry the banner of ‘Advertisement Feature’ because that is what they have become. Subliminal messages is one thing, blatant product endorsement is another. Articles about ‘How to Fish’ or ‘Where to Fish’ should be free of blatant plugs for particular products

Kevin,
Good point. At times, it's so obvious that I begin to think it is not actually for the 'readers' to see. Rather it is meant for reinforcement of the Advertisers confidence in their choice of placement.

Someone should tell them that subliminal advertising is (supposedly) more psychologically potent anyway. And doesn't make the readers feel treated like dim pawns who aren't capable of making our own choices.
Like wot I is!!

Sponsorship requirement Kevin. No sponsorship, no professional coarse anglers and no magazine articles.....or rather not enough to meet the present needs of the various newspapers/magazines. Don't see many articles by John Wilson.

There were articles and an angling press long before the days of sponsored anglers and advertising features masquerading as serious how-tos.

Just compare any magazine or fishing paper from the 70s with today. Product placement started back then with the advent of the Shakespeare Super Team, or whatever they were called, a bunch of Midlands matchmen who endorsed Match International rods etc.

The difference today is that most of the advertising revenue comes from a handful of large companies, who have gradually gained control of a good chunk of the editorial side of things.

At the end of the day their loss is FISHINGmagic's gain - look at some of the fantastic writers on here you'd never have got to hear of.

How is this for a radical idea...the author writes his/her article without mentioning specific rods, reels, lines, baits etc....then...at the end, there is a box entitled "Gear used" and there they can list what they want. That way I dont have to read the word F#x in every sentence

What do you lot think?

I think if people are being sponsored on the understanding they plug certain kit, baits etc it should say so.

At present the bulk of features content in the weeklies/monthlies consists of thinly-veiled advertising features for (insert name here)'s latest rods, reels, end tackle etc.

Even watercraft has become a plug for the latest wheeze, rather than this is how to make the most of what you've got and adapt to what's in front of you.

You could argue we've asked for it. We've become just another niche market, where the media's major thrust is persuading us whatever we had on the end last week isn't as good as what they've just brought out and if we don't keep changing our rods, reels etc, our results with never match those who spend their lives trying to sell them to us.

I used to laugh at the split cane and centrepin types. I'm beginning to realise they've got a point.

My big fear is that we're losing all the romance and magic somewhere along the line, in a brave new world where it's not worth a spit if it isn't a double, a twenty or a thirty (depending what you're after...) and if you haven't got the latest gear you get laughed off the banks.

Hey guy's I agree with both of you. Coarse Fisherman had this debate not so long back and it ended up with a general tone down in Plugging. I have it on good authority that one illiterate writer who shall remain nameless still plugs away every other sentance to get one in.
Somewhere in the middle is best. I like to learn about new stuff but i don't need it ramming down my throat. We all know who they are sponsered by after all.

Maybe I'm in the minority, I just don't read the stuff anymore and the latest gear doesn't impress. I enjoy making things too, that helps to see through or ignore the hype. My lure and fly stuff is absolutely the best, but not the most expensive.
I would confess however to a weakness for small baitcasters and soft rubber lures. Make of that what you will Mr Bishop

The great thing about the John Wilson TV programmes was he let the fishing do the talking and he has the character to make it interesting without any blatant product placement.

Correct me if I'm wrong Andrew but didn't John Wilson write articles for AT and IYCF for a number of years ( still may for all I know)

I wouldn't knock the writers who work for the likes of Shimano/Fox etc after all they're only trying to earn a living - but I'm just not that interested in what they've got to say anymore

I do however think that some publications including my own favourite CF are starting to get a little stale

Product placement is sometimes pretty blatant and annoying. Personally though I feel that the major tackle companies influence goes beyond that. For example when is the last time that you read a bad review of an item of kit? Am I I being over cynical, but can everything currently produced warrant a minimum of 3 or 4 stars?