WEARSHERLOCK: A blog that revolves around the wardrobe and props department of the BBC show 'Sherlock', featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman and Mark Gatiss.

This blog showcases the clothes and props seen in the show as well as providing links as to where to buy them. We often host Sherlock related giveaways. You can check our current giveaway status here. We are not affiliated with the BBC.

UK Product placement laws have been majorly relaxed in the last few years, and any channels (other than the BBC’s, as you’ve said) can include product placement if they show a little “P” symbol before and after the show in which it features. Product placement loosely is when particular effort is made to show the item and what it is capable of, perhaps incorporating it into conversation. So, in the case of Sherlock’s Apple products, as they’re not intrusive (i.e. Sherlock doesn’t make a specific effort to point out to John what his Apple Mac is capable of, he just uses it) there shouldn’t be any problem with the show using them.

The iPhone ad may have been a coincidence, as John is shown reading The Guardian newspaper at one point - so real newspaper, real adverts. They’re trying to base the show in reality and keep it very modern/current, so using real products will add to that and keep the feel of the show ‘real’. The bottle of HP sauce and the can of tinned tomatoes on Henry’s kitchen counter for example, would probably have been distracting if the production designers had invented brands for them both that weren’t recongisable. It’s interesting to look at the MePhone/Quest Search sites from series one also. Pretty much everyone is aware that MePhone is a play on Apple’s MobileMe (Find My iPhone) service and that very few people trying to find information quickly would opt for a search engine other than Google these days. To those of us who pick up on these things, creating new brands/companies can detract from the authenticity of a show. If John had just used Google instead, immediate viewer response wouldn’t usually be ‘that’s obviously product placement!’, because it’s natural and normal for people to use Google at current. They probably wouldn’t have noticed it at all. It appears they’ve relaxed a little when it comes to using uncensored products in series two.

That still doesn’t explain how they were able to mention the Westwood suit in TGG, as it couldcount as advertising (as Moriarty is suggesting that the suit is a particularly good one), but it’s most likely a subtle way of portraying Moriarty’s (previously unknown) identity. (Also, Mark Gatiss says in the commentary that the mention of the brand was cleared with Westwood prior to the episode being recorded). British viewers would also have noticed that John was shopping in ASDA when he had a row with the chip and pin machine. If he was shopping in Waitrose, it would have made the audience think ‘wait, I thought they were low on money?’ ASDA (and its value products) suits John’s non-materialist personality and their current financial situation. (The clothing John wears is a whole other kettle of fish though!)

We’re very happy to discuss this further!