'30 Rock' loves brands so much, it no longer wants their money

Love will keep them together. Or will a McFlurry do the trick?
  A couple of characters on NBC's 30 Rock, played by Alec Baldwin and Salma Hayek, did some brand-name bonding over the icy McDonald's treat during the Valenntine's Day episode, giving the marketer a good deal of adoring on-screen time during the popular Thursday-night series. The pair shared a mutual devotion to the McFlurry, hit the skids, then reunited at the counter of the fast-food joint. McFlurrys all around!
  Tina Fey actually says McDonald's didn't pay for the placement. But the Emmy-winning show generally revels in its over-the-top approach to brand integration. Fey has spouted a mini-infomercial for Verizon in the past, turning directly to the camera to ask "Can we have our money now?" after the pitch. Jerry Seinfeld similarly broke the fourth wall by shilling for Bee Movie during a guest appearance, giving its release date and a timely hit-the-multiplex message. DreamWorks Animation sponsored that episode. Soy Joy and Snapple have had their taglines used in the script, and Apple's iPhone is a nearly omnipresent character. When is it too much?

—Posted by T.L. Stanley