Covert advertising techniques are the opposite of overt advertising techniques.

Overt advertising is the typical blatant advertising found in magazines and newspapers, on television, on billboards, on leaflets, and in film trailers. Covert advertising is sneakier and it is cheaper.

Typical covert advertising techniques are;

1. Product placement within films and on television programmes.

If a film or television programme contains many visual references to a certain product then you can be pretty certain that product is buying covert advertising on the show or in the film. Nokia phones were used extensively in The Matrix and Federal Express Couriers were used too much in Castaway. The advantages of product placement are; You have a captive audience (they have chosen to watch the film or regularly tune in to the television show). It is cheaper than overt advertising or sponsorship If the programme or film is a success your advertising gets a wider audience The product becomes linked to the film or programme and the ideology/lifestyle inherent in that text. This attracts people to buy into the image through the product.

2. Sponsorship of television programmes.

In Britain this was only recently introduced in 1995. Now we see Emmerdale Farm sponsored by Daz, Coronation Street sponsored by Cadbury and Countdown sponsored by Lyons Cakes to name a few. American programmes have been sponsored for many years and now we also see Friends sponsored by Nescafe and Frasier sponsored by Erricson (the sponsorship is different in the USA). Sponsorship is a covert technique because it is not actually advertising overtly, the sponsorship advert is usually entertaining, it is never a hard sell and it is never very informative. Sponsorship hopes to link the product more directly to the film or programme and it is more expensive than product placement but also more effective. The advantages of sponsorship are similar to product placement. 3. Plugging products. Plugs occur in many places. In supermarkets reps plug products by getting you to try them before you buy them. In cinemas, restaurants and pubs you may get special promotional offers to encourage you to buy a product. (Free products with your beer, film, pizza etc. McDonalds regularly plug Disney films by giving free toys with their Happy Meal) One of the more controversial plugging attempts was the regular plugging of Marlboro cigarettes, which were given away in student pubs.

PROMOTIONAL PLUGGING: On television chat shows people plug their new film, book, record or product. This is basically free advertising. This is different to a covert plug technique by a corporate company. The advantages of plugging are: Consumers feel happy because they have a cheap or free product. People rarely realise that plugging affects the retail price in the shops. Its a quick way to get people using or thinking about your product. Plugging is hands on advertising; people cant just ignore it like they can in magazines or on television.

Covert Advertising
ABSTRACT De Dana Dan, Wake Up Sid, Dhoom, Phir Hera Pheri and Matrix are some excellent examples of movies with covert advertising. Brands such as Coca Cola, ICICI Bank, Dominos, Nokia, Aston Martin and Suzuki have placed themselves in these movies. Nowadays, these tactics are common in most of the films. Some very well managed product placements appear to be quiet natural, if not logical. But some seem to be badly inspired by a commercial spin-off, with all the negative consequences it may generate on the audience. Take for instance, the Hollywood flick, What Women Wants. This Mel Gibson starrer has a Nike commercial as a part of the script. It gets with the script so well that you dont realize youre watching a commercial camouflaged in the screenplay. Now the Bollywood flick, the girls beating the boys fighting sequence in Chak De has been referred to as the McDonalds fight scene merely because it takes place in one of the outlets. Again there is no mention of McDonalds in the entire film as it has been seamlessly embedded.As evident from the word covert, this type of advertising aims to integrate the advertising with the non-promotional mediums. This practice is most-commonly found in films. For example, billboards of the products may be shown in the film for a prolonged period of time. Or a character in the film may mention the name of the brand again and again. At other times the director may present the product as an integral part of the film. For example, the cars featured in several action flicks. Remember the Cadillac in Matrix Reloaded and BMWs in James Bond movies. It is a fact that these tactics seem to be high profile and also seem to require a lot of bucks. Only established brand names have used such form of advertising. Not everyone has the financial prowess to use this form of advertising. However, there are ways through which you can also promote your product or service. Maybe contributing an article in local daily will work well for you. You can mention your brand quite subtly there. On the Internet too, covert advertising is a hot trend. You can blog about the product or ask a well-known blogger to write about your product or service. However, this should be done inconspicuously.

As opposed to covert advertising, public service advertising aims at spreading awareness about issues that are relevant to public interest. Such ads may quote a political viewpoint, a philosophy, or a religious concept. Such humanitarian ads are usually broadcasted on the radio or television, though they can also appear in newspapers and magazines. A PSA or Public Service Announcement is aimed to alter public attitudes on issues ranging from health, safety, and conservation. Most of the PSA ads use celebrities in order to gain attention. Others focus their ads on the risks that can come to men, women, and children. In recent years, it has become quite common in US to broadcast the public service ads just after or in between the programs that relate to public service in any way. They provide information such as the toll free help lines, websites and addresses. In general, the public service ads are about rape, HIV, cancer, child abuse, domestic violence, and civil rights. While public service advertising is not as popular as paid advertising, it should be given due importance. All across the world, such type of advertising is now widely used. In fact, in US, public service advertising was once a requirement if the radio and television stations were to get their licenses from Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Public Service Advertising should carry a short and to the point message. The advertisement should be made keeping the target audience in mind. As it is not about buying a product but a change in the attitude altogether, the advertisements have to be amply clear and the message should prompt the people to take a step forward. If the shift in the mindsets of people does not happen, then the ad is not conveying the message properly. For this reason, the PSAs are often dramatic and expressive.
Covert advertising, also known as guerrilla advertising, is when a product or brand is embedded in entertainment and media. For example, in a film, the main character can use an item or other of a definite brand, as in the movie Minority Report, where Tom Cruise's character John Anderton owns a phone with the Nokia logo clearly written in the top corner, or his watch engraved with the Bulgari logo. Another example of advertising in film is in I, Robot, where main character played by Will Smith mentions his Converse shoes several times, calling them "classics," because the film is set far in the future. I, Robot and Spaceballs also showcase futuristic cars with the Audi and Mercedes-Benz logos clearly displayed on the front of the vehicles. Cadillac chose to advertise in the movie The Matrix Reloaded, which as a result contained many scenes in which Cadillac cars were used. Similarly, product placement for Omega Watches, Ford, VAIO, BMW and Aston Martin cars are featured in recent James Bond films, most notably Casino Royale. In "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer", the main transport vehicle shows a large Dodge logo on the front. Blade Runner includes some of the most obvious product placement; the whole film stops to show a Coca-Cola billboard.

With the connotation of the word covert, this type of marketing strategy embeds or integrates advertising in non-promotional mediums. The most common form of this practice is found in films. Billboards of products may be shown prominently or for a prolonged period of time. A character may mention it again and again. Other times, it is integral to the plot of the film, like cars featured in many action flicks, like Cadillacs in The Matrix Reloaded and BMWs in James Bond movies.

Covert advertising strategy A huge Coca-Cola billboard is seen several times in the cartoon Shark Tale, while huge red glasses with big Coke logos are prominently displayed on the tables of the American Idol judges. In other times, companies may ask to have a popular game show give its product away as a grand prize or a consolation prize. Other examples of covert advertising can also involve in-store promotions, like McDonalds constant

plugging of Disney cartoon characters with their Happy Meal sets. In many instances, these become exchange deals rather than paid placements. For example, if Nokia asks a producer to prominently place its product in a film, the producer will do it with the condition that Nokia provide mobile phones for the crews communication during the production process. Admittedly, these tactics are high profile and seem to require lots of bucks. They also seem to favour established brand names. Owners of small businesses need not worry, though. Aside from targeting local television startups, you can always look at the various other covert advertising methods. This can be done by contributing an article to your local daily or a magazine, where you can mention your product or brand. This must not be conspicuously done, though. However, this method has garnered much criticism, especially when it disguises itself as news. For

an alternative, you can also set up a blog or contact a blogger who has a wide following. Let your product be mentioned casually in the blog.