STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Good morning, I'm Steve Inskeep with a case of product placement. Corporations pay millions to have their products turn up in the hands of famous people but somehow, they were not thrilled when a photo showed a smartphone on a table next to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. This set off fevered speculation about which brand it was.

South Korean phone maker Samsung was eager not to take credit, insisting it's not a Samsung phone. They said maybe it came from a rival firm in Taiwan. You're listening to MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.