Product Placement: “My Secret Hotel” and “Discovery of Love”

As we all know, K-Dramas cost a lot of money to produce, and a common way for broadcasters to cover the budget is to offer product placement opportunities to sponsors. Sometimes, the product placement (PP) can play an integral and organic role in the drama, but there are other instances in which PPs can be a little heavy, pulling the viewer right out of the story. This week in K-dramaland, we’re featuring two of the most notable instances of PP, and you can judge whether or not they were successful!

Warning — spoilers ahead!

The Mattress Sanitizer In My Secret Hotel

In episode 12 of My Secret Hotel, Nam Sang Hyo (Yoo In Na) agrees to help Goo Hae Young (Jin Yi Han) for one week by fooling his parents into thinking that their marriage is real. This entails the two of them living together, and the two soon find each other cleaning up Goo Hae Young’s house.

Guess which room was left for last? His, of course!

Nam Sang Hyo decides she’s going to have the bed while giving Goo Hae Young the floor, since they have to share the room while the parents are present. But she remembers that Goo Hae Young did have a fiancée not too long ago, which means the two must have be *cough cough* active. And there’s no way in hell she’s going to sleep in the same bed unless it’s completely clean, down to the last thread!

Cue the product placement: a magnificent truck in which the mattress is placed. When the doors are closed again, the cleaning mechanism is set in motion which involves a combo of UV light, steam cleaning, and some form of anti-microbial technology.

Usually I’m only impressed with food placements (maekju sessions in dramas always make me salivate), but this one certainly sparked my attention!

Favorite quote: “Does it also get rid of 5’9″ ticks?” Doesn’t seem like Goo Hae Young appreciates the barb:

[tv]Watch My Secret Hotel on SoompiTV![/tv]

Subway! Subway! Subway! In Discovery of Love

This week, turns out that Kang Tae Ha (Eric Moon) has got Han Yeo Reum (Jung Yu Mi) working on another project for him — the furniture for a house (which turns out to have been their dream house when dating, incidentally).

Being a hard worker, Han Yeo Reum decides to do a marathon (encouraged, of course, by Kang Tae Ha, who can’t get her out of his head). She works on her project for days and nights, even sleeping in the office until she can finally design furniture that doesn’t appear to be copies of others’ work. Thankfully, Kang Tae Ha is there to tuck her into bed, even if she doesn’t know it. Cue the “d’awws”.

To reward all he hard work and because he’s trying to get her heart back and because it’s his birthday and he wants to spend it with someone he cares about, what better place for Kang Tae Ha to take Han Yeo Reum than…

… Subway! That’s right — Subway is now the most romantic place on earth, as well as one of the healthiest fast-food options out there!

So in case you guys need another subtle hint:

Successful examples of PP, or not? What were your favorite PPs of the week?