Um, no.

So, retroactive product placement is happening.

"I feel weird.  No, not just Canadian weird.  Future-y weird."

You know how there aren't nearly enough advertisements everywhere? If you're ever able to look at something and it doesn't remind you to buy something else, advertising is failing.  And when advertising fails, Don Draper releases single icy cold tear that falls down the inside of his cheek.  (You think Don Draper would allow his tear to be visible?  Please.)

Did you know sitcom reruns contain acres and acres of unclaimed ad real estate?  Imagine how many NASCAR logos could be digitally plastered across Dan Conner's enormous plaid shirts.  Why couldn't D.J. Tanner's bedroom walls display a Justin Beiber poster or two?  Especially in the early seasons from before he was born.  Mind-bendy!

Those scenarios are ridiculous and implausible.  This similar thing actually happened.  An ad for a 2011 movie, Zookeeper, was digitally inserted into a 2007 episode of How I Met Your Mother.  In one scene, where there used to be empty space behind Robin's head, there is now a magazine promoting a movie that didn't exist yet. This is troubling for a few reasons.
1.  Wrong product for the show:  Zookeeper is a Kevin James vehicle featuring talking, matchmaking animals and undoubtedly piles and piles of hilarious feces.  I haven't seen it because it's not out yet and because I'm not an a@##$%$ but it's probably awful.  It's probably lazy and humorless and not at all in keeping with the spirit of HIMYM which is a thoughtful, inventive, frequently outstanding show.
2.  Wrong show for retroactive product placement: This would be silly, morally itchy sign of our times regardless of what show it was done to.  But to do it HIMYM is extra offensive.  This is a show that thrives on geeky attention to detail and intricately plotted time lines.  One episode, "Bad News," contained a series of semi-hidden descending numbers for the audience to find.  This kind of picky noticing is a staple of the show and part of the fun.  Also, did I mention the intricately plotted time lines?!  This is a show that routinely weaves in and out of time and does a meticulous job maintaining continuity.  Adding an artifact from the future to this show is just...no.
3. Wrong thing to do at all ever, probably.

[image via http://consumerist.com]