Under Armour Masters Product Placement

There was a time when Baltimore sportswear maker Under Armour had to pay for advertising. No more, the Sun reports: its distinctive opposing-U shape has become ubiquitous in film and TV, prominently displayed in productions from Any Given Sunday to The Wire. During the first 3 months of 2008, Under Armour made no fewer than 3,000 appearances on cable TV.

The wide net the firm casts is part of its total-immersion branding strategy, explains the VP for brand: "Campaigns come and go, but it has a greater impact if the viewers see the Under Armour commercial, see real athletes on field wearing Under Armour, then see it on a TV show or movies." (More Under Armour stories.)