History Main / EnforcedPlug

A subtrope of ProductPlacement and a supertrope of ProductPromotionParade. Compare TheShill and NowBuyTheMerchandise.

** The 2015-16 College Football Playoff semi-finals were also [[https://mashable.com/2015/12/31/college-football-playoffs-espn-disney-we-get-it/ awkwardly promoted on several Disney properties with little to no relevance to sports.]] Creator/{{ABC}}'s soap opera ''Series/GeneralHospital'' featured a scene with two people at a bar touting their preference for watching the College Football Playoff Semi-Finals, December 31st on ESPN (For the first time on New Year's Eve!) instead of going to a New Year's party. Said discussion took place in front of a poster for it, and they were also dressed in shirts reading "Who's In?" -- a tagline ESPN had been using to promote the games. [[Creator/DisneyChannel Disney Junior]] got in on the action with a "Little Experts" segment with hot takes by the TargetDemographic (one of them liked [[WesternAnimation/JakeAndTheNeverlandPirates Jake]] better), and Creator/{{Marvel}} [[https://twitter.com/PickSixPreviews/status/682600031279550464 even did promotional comic book covers]].
** Of course, ESPN had to return the favor too; halftime at the Orange Bowl had a report from Times Square by Ryan Seacrest to promote ABC's ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve''. Later in the evening, the Cotton Bowl put up a graphic near the end of the first half [[http://247sports.com/Bolt/ESPN-wants-football-fans-to-know-Demi-Lovato-is-taking-the-stage-42427178 advertising]] that you could watch a performance by Music/DemiLovato on said show (which also kills two birds with one stone, as she's signed to Disney's Creator/HollywoodRecords). Michigan State fans were likely relieved that they could watch America's most popular New Year's special instead of the CurbStompBattle that ensued (Alabama won 38-0!). If contradictory marketing was part of the plan, it definitely worked: ratings for the 2015 semi-finals were worse than the ones held only 364 days prior, and the organizers eventually decided to move the semifinal games off New Year's Eve in years when the Rose and Sugar Bowl games aren't hosting the semi-finals (the Rose and Sugar Bowl games are always held on January 1, or January 2 if the former falls on a Sunday, regardless of whether they are hosting semi-finals or not).

** Since its players are right within its demographics, ESPN's coverage of the Little League World Series was previously peppered with cross-promotion for Creator/DisneyChannel's current [[AdoredByTheNetwork Flavor of the Month]] (typically during the intro and other bumpers), such as the Music/JonasBrothers or ''Film/HighSchoolMusical''. From 2010 to 2012, it was ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' themed, complete with a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVoVbyT8uQQ baseball-themed version]] of the usual TitleThemeTune (ESPN has since dropped the cross-promotion for a more conventional style).

* Parodied and lampshaded in the ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'' anime. When Fuwa tries to encourage her friends to buy the latest volume of a certain ''Magazine/ShonenJump'' detective series, the scene cuts to a gigantic ad for ''Manga/MajinTanteiNougamiNeuro'', Matsui's previous work, while a message encouraging the viewer to pick up the 12-volume compilation scrolls through the background. This does not go unnoticed by her friends.
-->'''Kayano:''' That's nasty!\\
'''Nagisa:''' Subtle product placement, Fuwa! Pay more attention to ethics in marketing!

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

->''“Enough with the blatant sucking up... let’s get to the blatant shilling!”''

* Kogorou Mouri from ''Manga/DetectiveConan'' has never shown to be interested in manga, so it is especially suspiciously uncharacteristic of him when he suddenly mentions ''Manga/ZettaiKarenChildren'' (a manga also published by Shogakukan) out of nowhere when discussing {{Teleportation}} with his daughter and her friend.
* A recurring scene seen multiple times in the earlier seasons of ''Anime/CardfightVanguard'' is characters mentioning in a more or less casual way that the last card that was just played comes from the latest Booster Set, stating the set's name out loud. The most blatant case is in a early episode of the Asia Circuit arc, when Aichi and Kamui are shocked by seeing that Rekka already haves a full Angel Feather deck the day after the launch of the set introducing the clan.

* Parodied in ''Film/TalladegaNightsTheBalladOfRickyBobby'': NBC is covering the climactic race, and it can’t resist showing why [[FunWithAcronyms it stands for “Nothing But Commercials”]]. The network cuts to a commercial in the middle of Ricky Bobby and Jean Girard’s cars crashing (followed by an actual Applebee’s ad in the middle of the movie). But even after the race coverage returns, the crash is still happening.

* Parodied and lampshaded in the ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'' anime. When Fuwa tries to encourage her friends to buy the latest volume a certain ''Magazine/ShonenJump'' detective series, the scene cuts to a gigantic ad for ''Manga/MajinTanteiNougamiNeuro'', Matsui's previous work, while a message encouraging the viewer to pick up the 12-volume compilation scrolls through the background. This does not go unnoticed by her friends.

* On ''Series/TheOfficeUS'', manager Michael Scott often mentions various products that he thinks are the best thing ever. However, the show is a {{mockumentary}} and Michael is its resident idiot, so he’s probably being paid to do it InUniverse.

* This is becoming an epidemic on Website/{{Youtube}}, with many Youtubers blatantly shilling commercial products and websites.
** One of the stated reasons is that sponsorships are paying the bills when ad revenue stop making as much money (due to, say, [[ExecutiveMeddling Youtube changing how video monetization works]]). When making videos is your career you have to pay bills somehow.

* “''Series/TheTwilightZone'' was brought to you by [product]!” was often heard at the end of the first two seasons of the show. By the time the third season had come around, Creator/RodSerling was shilling Chesterfield Cigarettes (with mild filters, not mildly filtered) to the audience after telling them about next week’s show.

* Enforced plugs are endemic on sports telecasts. Pretty much every segment or statistic now has its own sponsor (''e.g.'' “the AFLAC Trivia Question” or “the Jeep Drive of the Game”). Commentators are also frequently made to plug other programs on the same network (perhaps as a way of making use of time already dedicated to station identification).

* Blatant advertising is particularly prominent in motor racing, where uniforms, vehicles, and tracks are festooned with ads, cameras will go out of their way to film the ads, and the winning driver will shill for his sponsors.

* ''Radio/FibberMcGeeAndMolly'' tended to {{lampshade|d}} the trope to pieces. Midway through each episode, the [=McGees=] would encounter announcer Harlow Wilcox, who would quickly shift discussion of any topic to extolling the virtues of Johnson’s Self-Polishing Glo-Coat floor wax. Fibber or Molly would usually groan and go “HereWeGoAgain”.

** Of course, ESPN had to return the favor too; halftime at the Orange Bowl had a report from Times Square by Ryan Seacrest to promote ABC's ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve''. Later in the evening, the Cotton Bowl put up a graphic near the end of the first half [[http://247sports.com/Bolt/ESPN-wants-football-fans-to-know-Demi-Lovato-is-taking-the-stage-42427178 advertising]] that you could watch a performance by Music/DemiLovato on said show (which also kills two birds with one stone, as she's signed to Disney's Creator/HollywoodRecords). Michigan State fans were likely relieved that they could watch America's most popular New Year's special instead of the CurbStompBattle that ensued (Alabama won 38-0!). If contradictory marketing was part of the plan, it definitely worked: ratings for the 2015 semi-finals were worse than the ones held only 364 days prior, and the organizers eventually decided to move the semifinal games off New Year's Eve in years when the Rose and Sugar Bowl games (which are contractually obliged to be held on January 1) aren't the hosts.

* ''Radio/FibberMcGeeAndMolly'' tended to {{lampshade|d}} the trope to pieces. Midway through each episode, the [=McGees=] would encounter announcer Harlow Wilcox, who would quickly shift discussion of any topic to extolling the virtues of Johnson’s Self-Polishing Glo-Coat floorwax. Fibber or Molly would usually groan and go “HereWeGoAgain”.

** Of course, ESPN had to return the favor too; halftime at the Orange Bowl had a report from Times Square by Ryan Seacrest to promote ABC's ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest''. Later in the evening, the Cotton Bowl put up a graphic near the end of the first half [[http://247sports.com/Bolt/ESPN-wants-football-fans-to-know-Demi-Lovato-is-taking-the-stage-42427178 advertising]] that you could watch a performance by Music/DemiLovato on said show (which also kills two birds with one stone, as she's signed to Disney's Creator/HollywoodRecords). Michigan State fans were likely relieved that they could watch America's New Year's broadcast of record instead of the CurbStompBattle that ensued ([[EpicFail Alabama won 38-0!]]). If contradictory marketing was part of the plan, it definitely worked: ratings for the 2015 semi-finals were worse than the ones held only 364 days prior, and the organizers eventually decided to move the semifinal games off New Year's Eve in years when the Rose and Sugar Bowl games (which are contractually obliged to be held on January 1) aren't the hosts.

** The producers of ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'' [[WriterRevolt didn’t take too kindly to]] being forced to do a two-part Disneyland episode. So [[TakeThat they immediately followed it up]] with an episode entitled "Springtime for David" -- where one of the characters gets a job at a second-rate [[ThoseWackyNazis German-themed theme park]] named Edelweiss Gardens, and gets brainwashes into their army of [[GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul perpetually happy park mascots]].

** Of course, ESPN had to return the favor too; halftime at the Orange Bowl had a report from Times Square by Ryan Seacrest to promote ABC's ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest''. Later in the evening, the Cotton Bowl put up a graphic near the end of the first half [[http://247sports.com/Bolt/ESPN-wants-football-fans-to-know-Demi-Lovato-is-taking-the-stage-42427178 advertising]] that you could watch a performance by Music/DemiLovato on said show (which also kills two birds with one stone, as she's signed to Disney's Creator/HollywoodRecords). Michigan State fans were likely relieved that they could watch America's New Year's broadcast of record instead of the CurbStompBattle that ensued ([[EpicFail Alabama won 38-0!]]). If contradictory marketing was part of the plan, it definitely worked: ratings for the 2015 semi-finals were worse than the ones held only 364 days prior.