Have you ever wondered why we call drama serials like Eastenders and Coronation Street Soap Operas? It seems strange as Soap rarely features in any prominent way in the shows, and there isn’t any opera. It comes from the USA, where every program is advertised or sponsored by a product. In some cases, this is very evident. The sponsor’s product is mentioned and clearly seen in many scenes. Characters will drink or use the product and then put it down on a table so that its name can be seen on camera. It’s known as product placement. The other is where the sponsor is announced at the start and the end of each episode.
For the television companies that make up ITV, this is vital to them being able to make new shows and buy sporting events rights coverage. At one time, television ads were by far the most costly but also most effective as a way to reach an audience. Not that this matters if you don’t have a decent TV signal. The TV aerial installation Bristol based company https://aerial-installations-bristol.co.uk/ can do that for you.
Some of the first sponsors of the drama serial were soap and washing powder companies. This was a very competitive retail industry, and with regular viewers hooked to the show, it seemed like the best advertising and marketing move to sponsor it. Other products, especially food items, sponsored shows, but the first were the “soaps”, and this name has stuck.
