I've noticed this on Discovery (and elsewhere too), mostly on shows from the USA... \

Sometimes a fuzzy patch appears on screen covering up things like bottles, foods, logos, even T-shirt slogans. What are you trying to hide? ...and why?

They cover brand names so they are not giving free advertisement or implying sponsorship.

Seems like a lot of trouble to go to.

I would be very surprised if any viewers would consider the appearence of a logo in a documentary to be any endorsement of a brand. Obscuring the logo just serves to draw attention to it when it might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

As for giving companies "free advertising", it is very hit and miss for a company to hope their brand shows up in a documentary; and what do they do if their brand is shown in a less than ideal light? Most companies go to great lengths to target their products to the audience and to show their product in perfect conditions.

quote:

...As for giving companies "free advertising", it is very hit and miss for a company to hope their brand shows up in a documentary; and what do they do if their brand is shown in a less than ideal light?...

In advertising the only bad publicity is no publicity...