They have a product. Her need for that product couldn’t possibly be more apparent. And so, behind the scenes, a lucrative deal was clearly struck between a lingerie company and a fallen pop idol.

The result? This quote from Britney Spears, apologizing for frightening small children with her recent, omnipresent crotch shots, and implying (though not promising) that it won’t happen again:

“Every move I make at this point has been magnified more than I expected, and I probably did take my new found freedom a little too far. Anyway, thank God for Victoria’s Secrets’ new underwear line! I look forward to a new year, new music and a new me.”

Subtle, isn’t it? That’s how good product placement works: they slip that brand name right in there nice and casual-like, in a context that makes sense…so that no one in the audience takes the time to stop and wonder why Britney Spears is mentioning a major consumer retailer in her public pronouncements just in time for the holidays.