Thursday night the USA show Burn Notice included near the end of its mid-season finale a car chase scene which, in my opinion, perfectly integrated a product: the Saab 9-3 convertible. The character Fiona aided main character Michael by using the sporty Saab to interfere with and frustrate the gang of cars chasing his motorcycle. Specifically, she used the Saab's Electronic Stability Control Program (ESP) switch to turn off the Saab's traction control and slide the car around the other cars chasing Michael. Michael's trademark voice-over cheerfully describes what's she's doing.
The voice-over giving helpful knowledge of how to use devices and functions to get by in the spy trade is a typical narrative device of Burn Notice, so, to me, use of the sporty car and specific mention of its features fits seamlessly with the show's tone and style. Some might disagree. But then I don't come down that hard on product integration generally. I accept it as a necessary trade off. Most of the shows I like to watch are well written enough that product integration never gets in the way of the story, and occasionally, a show like this will integrate the product in a way that enhances the story. Well done, Burn Notice. Click through below to view a snippet from hulu explaining the car chase stunt and the product integration. And watch the show. It's very good.
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