Paul Simon's 1973 single "Kodachrome" became a major hit in the United States but was refused airplay by the BBC, which held a long-standing policy against broadcasting songs that named commercial products or brands. Because "Kodachrome" was a registered trademark belonging to Kodak for its colour photographic film, the corporation's rules treated the song's title and lyrics as a form of free advertising, leading to the ban despite the track's popularity and critical acclaim elsewhere.

The song, taken from Simon's album "There Goes Rhymin' Simon", reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 but could not chart in the UK in the same way partly because it went unplayed on BBC radio. The episode reflects a wider BBC convention of the era, under which several songs referencing branded products faced similar restrictions, regardless of their artistic merit or commercial success abroad.