Product placement ban lifted

Paid-for references to brands permitted for first time...

12:56 28 February 2011

The ban on product placement on British television has been lifted, allowing advertisers to pay for their goods to be seen on screen for the first time.

This means that all paid-for references to products and services are now permitted on shows produced in the UK, such as soaps and one-off dramas.

The first product to be featured was a Nescafe coffee machine on ITV1 show This Morning.

According to Ofcom regulations, viewers must be informed that a programme contains product placement.

This will be done through the broadcaster displaying the letter 'P' for three seconds at the start and end of a show.

Product placement will still not be allowed during news, current affairs or children's programming or for alcoholic drinks and foods high in sugar, salt or fat.

It will also continue to be banned for BBC shows.

American viewers are no stranger to product placement.

Advertisers such as Coca Cola and Apple in the US pay millions of dollars to place their products in films and television programmes.