GM pays $12.5 million for Survivor placement; Eliza hasn’t received her car.

GM pays $12.5 million for Survivor placement; Eliza hasn’t received her car.
USA TODAY examines one of the Survivor franchise’s longest running product placement partners, and finds that “General Motors has given away nine different car and truck models to Survivor contestants, and none is seeing particularly robust sales.” Still, the company keeps its automobiles on the show, which “reportedly costs the automaker more than $12.5 million a season.” GM exec Betsy Lazar says that cars are different than, say, Doritos. “The automotive category is so much different from packaged goods. Every month, only 1.5% of the population will buy a new car or truck. So to see an immediate lift, it just doesn’t happen.” Speaking of immediate lifts, Eliza Orlins won a Pontiac G6 on Survivor Vanuatu, but she “hasn’t yet received her prize,” USA TODAY says. “But she says she’s considering selling the G6 and using the proceeds to help pay for law school.”