Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Around the world, there are regulations for "influencers". Those regulations make sure that if someone is paid to endorse a product, they have to declare that payment to the people watching. But why does no-one on TV, or film, or anywhere else have to do that?
👥👥 CREDITS 👥👥
Written and performed by TOM SCOTT tomscott.com
Script assistant ANDREA MARKS
Animation BILLY CRINION twitter.com/BillyCrinion and WILLIAM MARLER wmad.co.uk
Dubbing mixer GRAHAM HAERTHER
"Does the Spearmint Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight" by Rose/Broom/Breuer (1924), arranged for orchestra by BENJAMIN SQUIRES benjaminsquires.co.uk
Thanks to EVAN EDINGER, JESSICA ENDOYAN, CHRISTINA HERNANDEZ, the TINY SPECK team, and SAM VALIANT
© Pad 26 Limited MMXXI
📄📄 SOURCES 📄📄
💵 PAYMENT AND CONTROL
Lonnie Donegan changing Spearmint: mentioned in a lot of places, but I can't find a contemporary account.
Ray Davies flying: twitter.com/thekinks/status/1265203792754212864 and cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence/why-ray-davies-flew-26-000-km-to-save-lola-1.5009086
BBC trademark policy: bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5R152hTbVPQdYjn29q5jt4/16-songs-banned-by-the-bbc
Pitbull and Kodak: twitter.com/pitbull/status/16567622829080576
Pitbull and Voli: web.archive.org/web/20200413134901/http://voli305vodka.com "Owned and operated by Armando Christian Perez, aka Pitbull"
Gucci on Lil Pump: no quotes, but given the lyrics and video, it's safe to say they didn't have control
YMCA reaction: news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19790329&id=M3VRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uPoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7192,10172867
✔️ YOU HAVE TO DECLARE IT
US Code Title 15: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15
Nikkie de Jager, One Dip Makeup Challenge: youtube.com/watch?v=CA18hTShwpk
Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers [PDF]: ftc.gov/system/files/documents/plain-language/1001a-influencer-guide-508_1.pdf
An Influencer’s Guide to making clear that ads are ads [PDF]: asa.org.uk/uploads/assets/uploaded/3af39c72-76e1-4a59-b2b47e81a034cd1d.pdf
The FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking: ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking
YouTube declaration: support.google.com/youtube/answer/154235
❌ NO-ONE ELSE HAS TO DECLARE IT
McFlurry: adage.com/article/adages/30-rock-mcflurry-scene-paid-placement/134689
Snapple: reuters.com/article/us-30rock-idUSN2833828120071128
"Branded content pods": adage.com/article/media/snl-air-fewer-commercials-season/303697
Farrow and Ball: bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/18014632.saturday-night-live-sketch-features-farrow-ball
Branson cameo: cinemablend.com/pop/Branson-s-Bond-Cameo-Was-Bought-1558.html
Superman's $40,000: latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-03-08-ca-322-story.html
Bond placement: bbc.com/culture/article/20151001-does-bonds-product-placement-go-too-far
Lorraine Kelly's tax bill: theguardian.com/business/2019/mar/20/lorraine-kelly-theatrical-artist-tax-tribunal-judge-rules
🎢 WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD
"Moms' conference": 5minutesformom.com/disneysmmoms
SNT viewing figures: eveningexpress.co.uk/lifestyle/entertainment/saturday-night-takeaway-smashes-ratings-record-after-airing-without-audience
"19 years in a row": chroniclelive.co.uk/news/tv/ant--dec-win-best-17648154
"Can't find any other example" of the castle being covered: disboards.com/threads/ant-and-dec-tv-show-live-from-magic-kingdom-in-april.3581535
Ofcom on product placement in UK TV: ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/advice-for-consumers/television/product-placement-on-tv
"One article on a tabloid web site": thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/10841854/ant-and-dec-trademark-name
🇺🇸 THE LAND OF THE FREE 🇺🇸
FCC, "The FCC and Freedom of Speech": fcc.gov/consumers/guides/fcc-and-freedom-speech
US Bill of Rights: archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights
First Amendment exceptions: fact-checked by legal experts, but best summarised on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
Commercial speech: https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/900/commercial-speech
Communications Act 2003: legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/contents
Animal Defenders International v United Kingdom: https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre?i=001-119244
CMA, "Social media endorsements: being transparent with your followers": gov.uk/government/publications/social-media-endorsements-guide-for-influencers
German product placement: grin.com/document/417399
📕 CHAPTERS 📕
00:00 Intro
00:58 1. Payment and Control
05:47 2. You Have To Declare It
09:17 3. No-One Else Has To Declare It
18:03 4. We're Going To Disney World
24:47 5. The Land Of The Free
31:15 Outro
Around the world, there are regulations for "influencers". Those regulations make sure that if someone is paid to endorse a product, they have to declare that payment to the people watching. But why does no-one on TV, or film, or anywhere else have to do that?
👥👥 CREDITS 👥👥
Written and performed by TOM SCOTT tomscott.com
Script assistant ANDREA MARKS
Animation BILLY CRINION twitter.com/BillyCrinion and WILLIAM MARLER wmad.co.uk
Dubbing mixer GRAHAM HAERTHER
"Does the Spearmint Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight" by Rose/Broom/Breuer (1924), arranged for orchestra by BENJAMIN SQUIRES benjaminsquires.co.uk
Thanks to EVAN EDINGER, JESSICA ENDOYAN, CHRISTINA HERNANDEZ, the TINY SPECK team, and SAM VALIANT
© Pad 26 Limited MMXXI
📄📄 SOURCES 📄📄
💵 PAYMENT AND CONTROL
Lonnie Donegan changing Spearmint: mentioned in a lot of places, but I can't find a contemporary account.
Ray Davies flying: twitter.com/thekinks/status/1265203792754212864 and cbc.ca/radio/undertheinfluence/why-ray-davies-flew-26-000-km-to-save-lola-1.5009086
BBC trademark policy: bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5R152hTbVPQdYjn29q5jt4/16-songs-banned-by-the-bbc
Pitbull and Kodak: twitter.com/pitbull/status/16567622829080576
Pitbull and Voli: web.archive.org/web/20200413134901/http://voli305vodka.com "Owned and operated by Armando Christian Perez, aka Pitbull"
Gucci on Lil Pump: no quotes, but given the lyrics and video, it's safe to say they didn't have control
YMCA reaction: news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19790329&id=M3VRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uPoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7192,10172867
✔️ YOU HAVE TO DECLARE IT
US Code Title 15: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15
Nikkie de Jager, One Dip Makeup Challenge: youtube.com/watch?v=CA18hTShwpk
Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers [PDF]: ftc.gov/system/files/documents/plain-language/1001a-influencer-guide-508_1.pdf
An Influencer’s Guide to making clear that ads are ads [PDF]: asa.org.uk/uploads/assets/uploaded/3af39c72-76e1-4a59-b2b47e81a034cd1d.pdf
The FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking: ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking
YouTube declaration: support.google.com/youtube/answer/154235
❌ NO-ONE ELSE HAS TO DECLARE IT
McFlurry: adage.com/article/adages/30-rock-mcflurry-scene-paid-placement/134689
Snapple: reuters.com/article/us-30rock-idUSN2833828120071128
"Branded content pods": adage.com/article/media/snl-air-fewer-commercials-season/303697
Farrow and Ball: bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/18014632.saturday-night-live-sketch-features-farrow-ball
Branson cameo: cinemablend.com/pop/Branson-s-Bond-Cameo-Was-Bought-1558.html
Superman's $40,000: latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-03-08-ca-322-story.html
Bond placement: bbc.com/culture/article/20151001-does-bonds-product-placement-go-too-far
Lorraine Kelly's tax bill: theguardian.com/business/2019/mar/20/lorraine-kelly-theatrical-artist-tax-tribunal-judge-rules
🎢 WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD
"Moms' conference": 5minutesformom.com/disneysmmoms
SNT viewing figures: eveningexpress.co.uk/lifestyle/entertainment/saturday-night-takeaway-smashes-ratings-record-after-airing-without-audience
"19 years in a row": chroniclelive.co.uk/news/tv/ant--dec-win-best-17648154
"Can't find any other example" of the castle being covered: disboards.com/threads/ant-and-dec-tv-show-live-from-magic-kingdom-in-april.3581535
Ofcom on product placement in UK TV: ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/advice-for-consumers/television/product-placement-on-tv
"One article on a tabloid web site": thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/10841854/ant-and-dec-trademark-name
🇺🇸 THE LAND OF THE FREE 🇺🇸
FCC, "The FCC and Freedom of Speech": fcc.gov/consumers/guides/fcc-and-freedom-speech
US Bill of Rights: archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights
First Amendment exceptions: fact-checked by legal experts, but best summarised on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
Commercial speech: https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/900/commercial-speech
Communications Act 2003: legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/21/contents
Animal Defenders International v United Kingdom: https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre?i=001-119244
CMA, "Social media endorsements: being transparent with your followers": gov.uk/government/publications/social-media-endorsements-guide-for-influencers
German product placement: grin.com/document/417399
📕 CHAPTERS 📕
00:00 Intro
00:58 1. Payment and Control
05:47 2. You Have To Declare It
09:17 3. No-One Else Has To Declare It
18:03 4. We're Going To Disney World
24:47 5. The Land Of The Free
31:15 Outro
