The Block co-creator responds to criticism over product placement

Most years since The Block returned with a new business model for its long-delayed third season on Nine there has been talk about the way products are integrated into the show.

Most recently the TV critics on Gogglebox highlighted how sponsors were being mentioned in the current series.

ABC’s Media Watch last night reported on some of the recent criticism:

Nine’s top-rating reality show The Block, which is getting a hammering from viewers – like these ones on Gogglebox – for its blatant product placement.

There have been similar complaints about The Block on social media.

And who can blame the audience for getting annoyed when the program features blatant ads like these woven into the script.

So what does The Block’s co-creator and executive producer Julian Cress have to say about it?

Cress has always been upfront about keeping the sponsors happy, saying the show would not exist without them. And he told Media Watch:

“With any show we make the experience of the viewer is first and foremost in our minds, but of course product placement in free-to-air television is nothing new. The Block has a long history in the integration space and we feel it works for both the audience and our clients.”

Watch the episode of Media Watch here.