I am sure everyone is familiar with The Price is Right. What is now Drew Carey used to be the infamous Bob Barker, and he would select contestants from the audience to "come on down .. you're the next contestant on the price is right!" People then proceed to flip out, jump up and down and make their way to the stage.
The show is based around countless products, where you have to guess the correct 'retail value' to each one. This continues on until the ultimate "Showcase Showdown" where two contestants battle it out to see which can guess their showcases price the closest.
Click 'play' below to see an example of the "Showcase Showdown"
(courtesy of YouTube user TalonGold)
I love the concept of the show and have grown up watching it, but doesn't it seem like an obnoxiously long 60-minute commercial (48-minutes give or take with the REAL commercials playing during breaks)?
In terms of the show, I think it's a smart move -- advertisers donate their products for free, allowing them to be shown in a great light and promote their features on the show. The show then has an incentive to give to contestants. It's a pretty endless cycle.
The Price is Right is not the only show who does shameless product promotions. Take for example another classic game show in Wheel of Fortune. Although their product promotion is a little less blatant, they still use brand-name prizes to create incentives for the contestants. By having the contestants play in order to win these prizes, people get excited about the brands and it creates a buzz around them.
Do you think shows like these are good ideas? Where branded products are the center point of the show? Or do they turn more watchers off than not?
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