Does getting a free product count as a "paid product placement"?

[Michael Cimicata]

Hey everyone, let's say that a company sends me a free product in exchange for making a video review on that product. There is no obligation to say good things about the product, I am allowed to say my own unbiased opinion in the review. Would I have to check the "paid product placement" box for the video?

Also, if I check the paid product placement box for the video, will I still earn ad revenue for that video? I am partnered with Fullscreen, if that makes a difference.

Thanks in advance for the answers!

 

[Brinkbabe91]

If I were you I would click that "paid product placement" button to be safe. Also I highly suggest that you do mention in your video that you were given the product. I am not sure if being given a product falls under the whole having to disclose a sponcered video thing, but your viewers will appreciate it honestly. There are some youtubers that I watch that mention if they got sent something from a company and I like that they mention that.

 

[midzan21]

If I get something free to review I would definietly go check that button and in early stage of video would say something like this:
This product is given to me for free, and everything what I say is my personal opinion. I'm not connected with company which send me this product.

 

[Tarmack]

No, that's not what the button is for.

I would suggest that those of you who do product reviews change your attitude with respect to the companies. I understand that it is easy to feel special or helped out when they send you freebies, but they are not doing you a favor by providing this. What they are doing, is giving you work. Absolutely disclose to your viewers that it was a review product provided by the company, but maybe even add that you were not paid for the video.

I get video game code on a regular basis. If I felt as though this was comparable to being paid, there is a good chance that it would affect any reviews that I did. In order to avoid that, I readjusted my view to them giving me work. This is also why I laugh at "sponsorships" which are nothing more than free products. That is NOT a sponsorship, that's just you being a corporate shill without being compensated properly.

Paid product placement means quite literally that you have been paid to include a product in a video. If you did not receive money for the placement, don't click the button. It is intended to allow YouTube a method of ensuring that competitor ads don't show on the video. If you have a paid product placement for Coke, they (and you) don't want to allow Pepsi ads to run on it.

It's not a "click it just to be safe" button.