Dr. Oz (some famous heart doctor) has these TV shows where he teaches people to eat and exercise properly for good health and a more youthful appearance. He has several books based on these principles. I happened across these shows last night as I was trying to fall asleep and ended up watching 3 back-to-back episodes while ordering the books online.

The commercials I recall were typical of the time frame, but the ads for the books that appeared along the bottom of the screen caught my attention and made me order books on heart health, weight control, and longevity.

I am in good health and not overweight, but I watched these shows convinced that I was going to have a heart attack in my sleep or wake up wrinkly. I am also a label reader and whole grain fanatic, but I felt I needed the books anyway.

The win here is that this topical show with a credible host, very subtly showed the books and let me order immediately as I felt the urgency of the message. I ordered from Amazon and not the Discovery web site, but that was a convenience thing. I would assume the target market for these shows/books are overweight, stressed-out people, but I bought them too. This was one of the most powerful marketing message I've even seen.

This morning, I feel good that I bought them and felt guilty for eating the sugar on my Shredded Wheat. Kudos to the team that came up with this show and the product placement. It's socially responsible and good capitalism.