STV agrees first product placement deals

Scottish broadcaster STV has secured its first product placement deals, with branding from Scottish Borders Council and supermarket chain Lidl to appear on daytime show The Hour.

Presented by former Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus, The Hour will be broadcast live from the annual Royal Highland Show tomorrow.

A planned feature on outdoor cooking, hosted by The Hour's resident chef Eadie Manson, will feature Lidl food products and barbeque equipment. A series of 'Our Scottish Borders'-branded posters from Scottish Borders Council will also feature on the show.

Product placement was allowed on British TV in February under relaxed regulations brought in by the government and implemented by Ofcom. ITV ran the first deal by featuring a Nestle coffee machine on This Morning.

Earlier this year, STV announced that it had agreed a joint venture with MirriAd, the digital firm behind technology enabling broadcasters and brand owners to place products digitally into existing video content.

Kelly Bredin, the head of sponsorship at STV, said: "The new regulations on product placement brings new and exciting opportunities for adding value to our content and we are delighted to have secured STV's first product placement deals in collaboration with Scottish Borders Council and Lidl."

David Dunsmuir, show manager for the Royal Highland Show, added: "We are delighted to be working with STV's The Hour programme and the Our Scottish Borders initiative to showcase what's on offer in the Scottish Borders.

"The product placement on The Hour showcases the area's excellence in food production, entertainment, visitor attractions and shopping and I am confident that it will inspire people to visit."

The Hour will feature a 'P' logo before the show and after the commercial break, as stipulated by Ofcom to warn viewers that TV shows feature commercial products.

However, a new report revealed on Monday that the majority of British adults are clueless about the product placement warning logo, despite a major awareness campaign aired by broadcasters.