Jamba Juice on my Brain

[Quick note- while I mention The Sopranos here, no spoilers]

Does anyone else have an unexplainable desire to go to Jamba Juice today? For anyone who didn't watch The Sopranos last night, they name-dropped Jamba Juice about 10 times. The product placement has been pretty constant this season. But, wait a minute: in reference to A.J.'s new job, didn't Tony say that Blockbuster was the "first stop on the the shitbird express?" Would a company really pay to have their brand trashed like that?

Apparently, HBO doesn't accept money for product placement. The Sopranos execs claim that brand names are written into scripts solely to make the scripts more realistic. However, some Jon Fine fella says that HBO must be getting something out of it- free use of vehicles, etc. Not having to rent a vehicle for a scene certainly would lower production costs, but what about Nestle, Snapple, Jamba Juice, and the dozens (hundreds?) of other brands that have been mentioned on the show? Do these companies provide the sets with free snacks & beverages? If so, that's definitely product placement- HBO just receives goods instead of cash. But, what if these brands are written into scripts simply to make the dialogue more like real life?

I find this a very intriguing topic of discussion. The constant mention of FedEx in Cast Away drove me crazy, but I've talked to people (well, at least one person) who thought it was absolutely essential to the plot.

On the other hand, it also bugs me in movies or tv shows when people say "gimme a beer" or "I'll take a pack of smokes," and the bartender/sales clerk knows exactly which kind they want. Clerks was a great movie, but every time a customer asked for cigarettes without identifying a brand name, it bothered me. I also like it when movies/shows develop their own fake brands (Quentin Tarratino's Red Apple cigarettes, for example).

I guess when I feel like a brand name fits into the flow of dialogue, it usually doesn't bother me, even if I suspect the company paid for the mention. While I've been noticing it quite a bit recently on The Sopranos, it usually fits in fairly seamlessly. I would still like to know how many of the products just happen to be written into scripts, as opposed to the show receiving some sort of compensation, though. Anyone have connections at HBO?

On a completely unrelated noted: check out Washington's horrid new state tourism slogan: "SayWA!" I'm pretty sure it barely beat out "Wha' Happened?"