A product leaps from the virtual world to the real

Surprise! This is not a post about Second Life.

Rather, according to this New York Times article, a plot element of the cable TV show "The L Word," about the lives and interactions of a group of women, will be evolved into a full-fledged social network for lesbians.

Says the Times:

From the first season of Showtime’s “The L Word,” a chart mapping the relationships of the character Alice has been a central motif, growing to take over an entire wall.

And now it's grown into cyberspace as well, ready for new-subscriber signup as of January 7. Some of the key actors in the show are partners in the site, called OurChart.com, as is Showtime. (Here's a map of the chart that will serve as the site's logo.)

You could call it product out-placement.

innovation, virtuality, product development, New York Times, business