U.K. to have its first product-placement company

Eardrum, a company that produces radio commercials in the U.K., is launching the country’s first product placement company completely dedicated to motion pictures, Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported Wednesday. The company, which already has relationships with such companies as Warner Bros., Coca Cola, Burger King, and Hewlett Packard, said that its new unit, dubbed Earmark, plans to meet with writers and producers “at script stage” to write clients’ products into the films. It also indicated that some products could be inserted digitally during post production. Earmark chief Steve Switzman, formerly with the U.K.’s Entertainment Film Distributors, told the Guardian that he believes product placement is an under-exploited area of advertising in the U.K. and “represents a massive growth opportunity.”