Ryan Thomas believes the latest ‘Coronation Street’ product placement agreements have been a "long time coming".
The ITV soap’s viewers will soon see Costa Coffee and Co-op storefronts on their screens as part of a new, extended Weatherfield set, and the 33-year-old actor – who played Jason Grimshaw on the show for 16 years – thinks it would be "silly not to use" such a platform to advertise.
He said: "I think as an actor it’s not a worry for a character.
"A kissing or sex scene in a movie, it’s not real. It doesn’t feel real. It feel like you’re performing.
"It literally feels like work. It’s the same when it comes to product placement. I don’t think that’s going to affect anyone’s performance at all. It shouldn’t do.
"It’s been a long time coming. We’re in a day and age now where it would be silly not to use that platform to advertise.
"The more believable it looks the more believable it is. We base our shows around real life situations."
Ryan thinks it’s "great" to see ‘Corrie’ taking this step after several shows and actors have previously experienced issues with product placement over the years.
Speaking to talkRADIO’s Johnny Seifert, he added: "It’s a product placement thing that we’ve had problems with for years and years and years so it’s finally comes to a point where they’re using it to their advantage, which is great."
Product placement was first introduced in the UK in 2011 and in the same year it appeared on ‘Coronation Street’.
‘Corrie’ characters have been seen carrying Costa cups and Co-op bags on screen in recent weeks ahead of the big storefronts reveal.
Ryan Thomas: Corrie’s Costa has been ‘long time coming’
