Media Exposed #8: "FRIENDS" of Bloomingdale's

In FRIENDS, Rachel works at Bloomingdale's, & the show features the trademark "big brown bag" actually used by the company in the background where she works.  See, advertising really can blend in the background unnoticed!

One of America's (AND the world's!) most beloved shows, FRIENDS, was and still is a show many of us go to watch for some laughs (really, a LOT of laughs).  I actually grew up watching this show because my dad and older brother introduced me to it while on a plane-ride back from Florida, and I fell in love with it.  The show revolved around six friends: Monica, Chandler, Rachel, Ross, Phoebe and Joey--six adults living in New York going through work, relationships, family situations, most definitely a lot of laughs together.  One of the main characters, Rachel Greene, was a woman who came to New York looking to fulfill her dreams in the fashion industry, and by season 3 she received her first fashion-related job when she began working at Bloomingdale's.  When it showed Rachel in her office working, it would actually show the company's trademark "big brown bag" in the background, such as in the episode "The One With All the Jealousy" and in a few other episodes.  Plus, not only was Bloomingdale's featured regularly in FRIENDS, but also Ralph Lauren when Rachel transferred jobs, as well as Gucci, Gap, Macy's and more.  They were either mentioned or seen as being worn by the cast, integrated into the plot line, or in some other way made part of the show.

By showing the actual bagging used by Bloomingdale's, it meant that the company bought a spot in the TV show to be featured in not only in the background of certain episodes but as part of a major plotline for one of the show's main characters, a technique known as Madison & Vine.  This advertising technique is when advertisers integrate a company &/or its products into a form of entertainment as a way to make audiences  more unaware that they're being exposed to advertisement, and make them not tune out as much of the advertising as they would if it were just a normal commercial they could skip over.  I never truly noticed how much I wanted to shop at Bloomingdale's or Ralph Lauren after watching FRIENDS because they made the company fun[ny] and interesting by making it a part of the plot.   But, now re-watching some of the episodes, I see how the show really advertises these companies without viewers even noticing!  Sneaky. :)

Even though this isn't a typical way to advertise a company or product, FRIENDS still was able to use common techniques and appeals.  The show definitely used the technique of testimonial, as they had one of their main characters, Rachel (played by the famous actress who plays her, Jennifer Aniston) working at Bloomingdale's and really making the company look like a fabulous and wonderful place to work and shop at.  By using someone famous and character that many people know and love, the company sells their products to the audience much more easily because they want to be like the actress or the character by buying from that company featured.  The "need for prominence" is also seen from the way the show advertises the company, as Rachel goes on about how amazing her job is and how wonderful it is to be part of the Bloomingdale's team.  Plus, knowing how Rachel loves to shop, she always loves talking about shopping at Bloomingdale's and how great it is.  Her character appeals to the audience's need to be admired because of the clothes she wears and the place she works at, and by using Bloomingdale's the audience believes that is the place to feel like that!

After watching FRIENDS, you may want to start going off and shopping in New York like Rachel!  The show secretly showed you how fabulous it is to work and shop in places like Bloomingdale's, and now you want to be "FRIENDS" with Bloomingdale's just like Rachel. :)