Lexus looks to pay for editorial product placement

Lexus is in talks with several major publications about integrating their product into editorial content. This modified 'advertorial' would be not labeled as such, and would be written by publication staff writers. This would further blur the line between advertising and editorial content, and is a dangerous tactic for any publication to enter into. Lexus is dissatisfied with regular advertorials as readers often ignore them. By paying for product placement in content and photography, Lexus would be exposing their product in a new way. There is conflicting reports that Lexus is actually going to do this, however. Companies often do provide products in exchange for the possibility that they will appear in content. For Lexus, it would make more sense to advertise in non-automotive media in this way. Although, we do not agree with the practice at all, we understand that it is getting harder and harder to advertise to the public in all forms of media. Advertisements and commercials are frequently avoided or skipped over all together. We just feel that this can ruin a publication's credibility if it is not done judiciously or even avoided all together.