September 29, 2011
You have to give credit when due and actor Ashton Kutcher deserves it for looking to maximize his business investments.
Charlie Sheen's successor on the popular Two And A Half Men TV program thought he could get away with advertising on his Apple laptop which companies he's either invested in or that pay him big bucks to shill for their brands. CBS didn't approve, says Gawker.com.
Kutcher also pulled it off while taking the reins as guest editor for an online version of Details magazine in a show of true journalistic integrity, charges TDW Geek.
Why the hullabaloo? Kutcher is neither a journalist nor a TV network executive. He's not the first to take a shot at product placement on a TV show or in an article and he likely won't be the last. As it turns out, the New York Times reports Kutcher could be in trouble with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for in an editorial context, people have an obligation to fully disclose their investments.
"If you're out there promoting individual products that you have a specific investment in, it needs to be disclosed," Richard Cleland, assistant director of the division of advertising practices at the FTC, told the Times. "If you have a significant economic investment that is not otherwise apparent, that may potentially affect the credibility of your endorsement, and I see that as a potential problem."
Insofar as CBS goes, Kutcher can take comfort he's not the first to be censored for being a logo enthusiast. For instance, other TV shows have hidden Apple's famous logo previously.
It'll likely all blow over. After all, we live in a world inundated by corporate logos at every turn. And as Canadian actor Rick Moranis points out, all successful businesses have attractive, recognizable logos.
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