Three month trial verdict in: product placement still banned in the UK.

The Guardian reports: Product placement ban on UK television to continue.
They tried it, didn't like it. The culture secretary, Andy Burnham, said that the three month trial "failed to produce a convincing case for product placement – which he said would blur the boundaries between advertising and content."

"My priority has always been to make sure we maintain levels of trust between audiences and broadcasters, and protect the standards of broadcasting for which Britain is known worldwide.

"I have listened carefully to the arguments on both sides around product placement, and concluded that it should not be permitted in programmes made for this country. There is a lack of evidence of economic benefits, along with very serious concerns about blurring the boundaries between advertising and editorial.

"Britain is known around the world for the high quality of its broadcasting output. We need to continue to preserve editorial integrity as technology advances.

"I am well aware that a number of commercial broadcasters are facing difficult economic times and I will continue to work with the industry to explore ways we can support them, but my preference is to consider all other avenues before allowing product placement."

The totally unrelated image shows off products that don't sponsor Adland. (You bastards, we could totally use some drinks around here...)