MSNBC‘s Morning Joe program seems to have turned its conspicuous consumption of Starbucks drinks into a paid commercial for the coffee chain, according to this morning’s New York Times (6/1/09). As Brian Stelter put it, Joe Scarborough “sips Frappuccinos on camera so often that some viewers have wondered whether it is a form of product placement, paid for by the coffee company. Starting Monday, it will be.”
The deal is worth over $10 million, and will include “Starbucks graphics and mentions during each hour of the 6 to 9 a.m. program.” The show might even broadcast from Starbucks locations from time to time.
Conflict of interest? MSNBC president Phil Griffins says no way:
Mr. Griffin said Morning Joe would continue to cover Starbucks as a news item if warranted. “They understand that we have standards,” he said.
Standards indeed.
Hey, at least Starbucks has to pay for it.
Other corporate criminals get their asskissing gratis, don’t they?
He drinks Frappucinos in the morning? What kind of weirdo is he?
By the way, have they covered the labor campaign against Starbucks? Methinks not.