On the bright side, I think product placement manipulates people in less problematic ways than companies like Cambridge Analytica have been able to do with precision-targeted advertisements. At least product placement needs to involve actual products, and if you try to go beyond that it'll be pretty obvious. Although I guess there's a cross-section here: one of the really sinister details of Facebook's advertising is it gets presented in the same context as pictures of your friend's puppy, so our filters don't engage like they would looking at something that resembles an ad container.
I strongly disagree that Cambridge Analytica has done more damage than advertising. The leading causes of death in the US are preventable. Companies are pumping out disinformation to get people to consume things that are killing them, as well, to spend money on non essential items they can't afford.
