Is "The sweetest taboo" breaking one?

Carole Matthews, a popular author, has recently released a novel titled "The Sweetest Taboo", which includes sponsored advertising for Ford Fiesta. Ford has paid Carole to feature their cars in her book as well as in her upcoming novel. This practice is not new, as it has been done before by Fay Weldon, who was paid by Bulgari to include their brand in one of her novels. Fay Weldon did so with with pazazz when she named the book "The Bulgari connection".

Apart from writing about Fiestas in her novels, Carole has also been commissioned to write short stories about Ford cars that the company will use in their advertising.

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Anonymous Adgrunt's picture
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AnonymousCoward's picture

hmm... this seems to be the next logical step, doesn't it?
after product placement on tv... why not?
or take "jennifer government". nike is the corporation in this book, where all the story is about.
mkay, they're not looking godd in this novel. but, even bad publicity is (at least) publicity)

Goldenboy's picture

Now this novelist can also title herself copywriter like all the other novelist/CW's on brand-payroll ;)

AnonymousCoward's picture

so if Ralph Nader got his way where would the disclaimer go? The back cover? The pages that contain mention of the car?

Dabitch's picture

funny (good) point! ;)

AnonymousCoward's picture

Sure enough when we read stories and find elements that are familiar to us, it draws us in farther. We all like to read and say "oh yeah I know that" or "we have one of those". So it makes sense to generate some income from sponsers when you are going to use thier product lines. We sale space on bill boards, tv, newspapers and even on the side of a barn. Why not in stories too!

Dabitch's picture

Bladerunner.