Examples of product-placement in movies?
February 15, 2006 3:34 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for obvious and conspicuous examples of product-placement in recent movies, along the lines of "Castaway" (FedEx) and "You've Got Mail" (AOL). The more egregious the better. Last ten years or less, please.
Examples such as James Bond checking his Omega watch or Superman eating Cheerios are a little too small. I'm thinking more in-your-face. Thank you.
Examples such as James Bond checking his Omega watch or Superman eating Cheerios are a little too small. I'm thinking more in-your-face. Thank you.
Josie And the Pussycats had Target symbols painted on the inside of a plane with little shelves holding detergent, iirc. The massive product placement was a running gag.
posted by stavrogin at 3:37 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by stavrogin at 3:37 PM on February 15, 2006
I, Robot. The shoes. They zoom in on them five or six times, and there is at least one conversation about them, maybe two. It was painful.
posted by leapingsheep at 3:38 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by leapingsheep at 3:38 PM on February 15, 2006
There's some godawful Adam Sandler vehicle coming out where he gets a "universal" remote from the back ("Beyond") of Bed Bath & Beyond.
posted by deadfather at 3:39 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by deadfather at 3:39 PM on February 15, 2006
I, Robot, the cars -- all Audis.
The Transporter 2 (yes, I'm embarassed) - again, nearly every car was an Audi, including the Lamborghini that Jason Statham stole at the end.
ET - Reese's Pieces (in the book, it was M&M's, but they changed it for the movie after Hershey paid them)
Every James Bond movie (in the last one, every car was a Ford product - Aston Martins, Volvos, Land Rovers, etc - not to mention Bond's Omega Seamaster and a zillion other obvious product placements).
posted by JekPorkins at 3:43 PM on February 15, 2006
The Transporter 2 (yes, I'm embarassed) - again, nearly every car was an Audi, including the Lamborghini that Jason Statham stole at the end.
ET - Reese's Pieces (in the book, it was M&M's, but they changed it for the movie after Hershey paid them)
Every James Bond movie (in the last one, every car was a Ford product - Aston Martins, Volvos, Land Rovers, etc - not to mention Bond's Omega Seamaster and a zillion other obvious product placements).
posted by JekPorkins at 3:43 PM on February 15, 2006
That new Firewall movie is tied in heavily with Chrysler.
posted by astruc at 3:47 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by astruc at 3:47 PM on February 15, 2006
Where the Heart Is centers around a girl who gives birth in a Wal-Mart.
Career Opportunities isn't recent, but it involves people locked in a Target.
posted by designbot at 3:48 PM on February 15, 2006
Career Opportunities isn't recent, but it involves people locked in a Target.
posted by designbot at 3:48 PM on February 15, 2006
I thought the product placements in Minority Report were pretty obvious.
posted by jodic at 3:48 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by jodic at 3:48 PM on February 15, 2006
"Demolition Man" contains the immortal line "now everything is Taco Bell", but that film may be older than you're looking for.
"The Island"
posted by luneray at 3:49 PM on February 15, 2006
"The Island"
posted by luneray at 3:49 PM on February 15, 2006
Seconding The Island, it was absurd how many placements there were.
i didn't mind the shoe placement in I, Robot. It seemed more like an attempt to show Smith's character as longing for an older time. My feeling is that as long as it fits within the story, i don't really care if i see the name of a real product. It's when it breaks the moment that it bugs me.
Did i mention that The Island had lots of ads...
posted by quin at 3:50 PM on February 15, 2006
i didn't mind the shoe placement in I, Robot. It seemed more like an attempt to show Smith's character as longing for an older time. My feeling is that as long as it fits within the story, i don't really care if i see the name of a real product. It's when it breaks the moment that it bugs me.
Did i mention that The Island had lots of ads...
posted by quin at 3:50 PM on February 15, 2006
That new Firewall movie is tied in heavily with Chrysler.
I heard Harrison Ford also uses an iPod as a key plot element.
posted by designbot at 3:51 PM on February 15, 2006
I heard Harrison Ford also uses an iPod as a key plot element.
posted by designbot at 3:51 PM on February 15, 2006
Are you looking only for film product placements? Cause on the SHO series The L Word they've been doing some pretty heavy product placement lately.
posted by FlamingBore at 3:53 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by FlamingBore at 3:53 PM on February 15, 2006
stavrogin beat me to Josie and the Pussycats, which I just watched the other day for some odd reason. It's intentional but it's still really distracting. There's also major product name-checking in the script.
Since I still have the movie "around", here are some screenshots... 1 2 3
posted by smackfu at 3:54 PM on February 15, 2006
Since I still have the movie "around", here are some screenshots... 1 2 3
posted by smackfu at 3:54 PM on February 15, 2006
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. I think this had some product placement somewhere, but I can't put my finger on where…
posted by designbot at 3:54 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by designbot at 3:54 PM on February 15, 2006
Waynes World, of course.
Collateral: he's driving a cab with a big "Bacardi Silver" ad on top throughout the film.
posted by Four Flavors at 4:00 PM on February 15, 2006
Collateral: he's driving a cab with a big "Bacardi Silver" ad on top throughout the film.
posted by Four Flavors at 4:00 PM on February 15, 2006
Response by poster: FlamingBore: I'm looking for film examples, not television, but thank you just the same.
And thanks for all of the examples above. Keep them coming!
posted by soiled cowboy at 4:01 PM on February 15, 2006
And thanks for all of the examples above. Keep them coming!
posted by soiled cowboy at 4:01 PM on February 15, 2006
Small Soldiers: Hasbro
When a Stranger Calls: Nextel
The Village: Land Rover
posted by FlamingBore at 4:02 PM on February 15, 2006
When a Stranger Calls: Nextel
The Village: Land Rover
posted by FlamingBore at 4:02 PM on February 15, 2006
The products in Fight Club [that I believe were legitimate paid placements] are either destroyed [Ikea, Volkswagon] or appear in scenes of violence [Pepsi].
The band Negativland have made a 47 minute film that includes only the product placement bits from films.
In the future they may be able to digitally insert new products into old films that will personally apply to you [a kind of cookie based advertising]
posted by meech at 4:05 PM on February 15, 2006
The band Negativland have made a 47 minute film that includes only the product placement bits from films.
In the future they may be able to digitally insert new products into old films that will personally apply to you [a kind of cookie based advertising]
posted by meech at 4:05 PM on February 15, 2006
Cellular: Nokia
posted by FlamingBore at 4:09 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by FlamingBore at 4:09 PM on February 15, 2006
The New Beetle in Herbie: Fully Loaded (and of course, the old Beetle in the original Herbie movies).
posted by designbot at 4:11 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by designbot at 4:11 PM on February 15, 2006
Eurotrip was awful for this. From the film:
A:Is that a new camera?
B:It isn't just a camera, this is a Leica M. Uber-sensitive exposure settings, legendary cloth shutter system...
And later:
A: Is that a Leica N?
B: Actually, it's an M. It's got the built-in light meter.
A: It's so beautiful. So sleek. So powerful. How's the new lens system?
B: Makes the Nikon look like a disposable.
A built-in light meter? Ooooh, wow! Haven't seen one of those before.
posted by Evstar at 4:13 PM on February 15, 2006
A:Is that a new camera?
B:It isn't just a camera, this is a Leica M. Uber-sensitive exposure settings, legendary cloth shutter system...
And later:
A: Is that a Leica N?
B: Actually, it's an M. It's got the built-in light meter.
A: It's so beautiful. So sleek. So powerful. How's the new lens system?
B: Makes the Nikon look like a disposable.
A built-in light meter? Ooooh, wow! Haven't seen one of those before.
posted by Evstar at 4:13 PM on February 15, 2006
In some of these cases, it's dubious whether they're a paid placement or just using a real brand name... like that Leica one. They're not marketing Leica's to teens, and the guy using it was a camera dork. Despite listing all the features it didn't make Leica look good at all.
posted by smackfu at 4:18 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by smackfu at 4:18 PM on February 15, 2006
It's outside your time-frame, but as I recall, Total Recall had positively jarring product placement, including ones for Curtis-Mathis TVs.
posted by adamrice at 4:18 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by adamrice at 4:18 PM on February 15, 2006
I can't believe nobody's mentioned the Firewall/Equifax tie-in yet. I've seen banner ads all over the place about it, and even heard local radio spots ("Okay, so in the new movie Firewall, Harrison Ford finds out his identity has been stolen, so he logs on to Equifax.com...").
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:25 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:25 PM on February 15, 2006
"You've Got Mail" is pretty much a feature-length advertisement for AOL.
posted by emelenjr at 4:25 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by emelenjr at 4:25 PM on February 15, 2006
M&M's are used prominently in "Red Planet", with one of the characters using them in free-fall to create a DNA helix.
posted by nomisxid at 4:26 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by nomisxid at 4:26 PM on February 15, 2006
Total Recall? Really? Don't remember that at all.
I was all tingling to mention I, Robot because it's so cartoonish.... I would add the second Austin Powers movie. Too many ads to count. Maybe the third as well, but I never saw it.
posted by brundlefly at 4:28 PM on February 15, 2006
I was all tingling to mention I, Robot because it's so cartoonish.... I would add the second Austin Powers movie. Too many ads to count. Maybe the third as well, but I never saw it.
posted by brundlefly at 4:28 PM on February 15, 2006
nomisxid, you're thinking of Mission to Mars.
posted by brundlefly at 4:28 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by brundlefly at 4:28 PM on February 15, 2006
Oh, and I would assume all the cars in the Fast and the Furious/2 Fast, 2 Furious were placements.
posted by brundlefly at 4:31 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by brundlefly at 4:31 PM on February 15, 2006
Last week, on Smallville, someone said, "I thought you wore glasses?" "Not after my Lasik's Eye surgery" or something like that.
And just for reverse product placement....
Repo Man has everything labeled GENERIC. Generic Beer, Generic bread, generic cigarettes.
posted by filmgeek at 4:31 PM on February 15, 2006
And just for reverse product placement....
Repo Man has everything labeled GENERIC. Generic Beer, Generic bread, generic cigarettes.
posted by filmgeek at 4:31 PM on February 15, 2006
Wayne's World - absolutely shameless!
posted by any major dude at 4:36 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by any major dude at 4:36 PM on February 15, 2006
What about Toy Story? Mr Potato Head, Etch-a-sketch, Barbie, etc. etc.
posted by Tawita at 4:37 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by Tawita at 4:37 PM on February 15, 2006
The Carlsberg truck in Spider Man.
posted by AwkwardPause at 4:37 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by AwkwardPause at 4:37 PM on February 15, 2006
Best answer: Another one, closer to the examples you cited: "Coyote Ugly," which was called a $20 million commercial for the chain. Of course it's not true product placement since the movie was developed around the idea of the Coyote Ugly bar chain, rather than seeking payment for a specific chain to take the place of "unnamed hotspot" in the script. I believe that's the case for "You've Got Mail" as well. Nora Ephron (the screenwrite) was an avid user of AOL mail and wrote the script around AOL and didn't really shop it around to competing mail services for the best placement deal.
posted by zanni at 4:39 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by zanni at 4:39 PM on February 15, 2006
It's outside of the date range, but 2001: A Space Odyssey has product placements for Pan Am, Bell, IBM, American Express, Aeroflot, Hilton, Howard Johnson's General Motors, Parker Pens, RCA/Whirlpool, Hamilton, and Parker Brothers.
posted by kirkaracha at 4:43 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by kirkaracha at 4:43 PM on February 15, 2006
Maddox has a hilarious rant about the product placement in I, Robot
posted by cogat at 4:44 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by cogat at 4:44 PM on February 15, 2006
I thought the LG logo that showed up in 2046 was really distracting.
posted by Good Brain at 4:53 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by Good Brain at 4:53 PM on February 15, 2006
How are you guys using the term product placement?
To me, that means a filmmaker was paid to insert product X into the movie.
Are the examples above all of that type? Because an awful lot of them seem much more like incidental use, not paid advertising. It's an important distinction, to me. The Island seemed a bit shameless, and I imagine they got paid. The ET example above is completely shameless, but unobtrusive. A lot of the examples, though, seem less than obvious that it's product placement.
Having name brands in a movie is just good storytelling -- you don't drink Generic Soda™, you have a Coke or a Pepsi, or Krogers knock-off, or whatever. You don't drive Mystery Brand™ vehicle transportation, you drive a Honda Accord or a Chevy Blazer or Mini Cooper. Specificity such as that is useful, and not product placement unless it was paid.
posted by teece at 4:53 PM on February 15, 2006
To me, that means a filmmaker was paid to insert product X into the movie.
Are the examples above all of that type? Because an awful lot of them seem much more like incidental use, not paid advertising. It's an important distinction, to me. The Island seemed a bit shameless, and I imagine they got paid. The ET example above is completely shameless, but unobtrusive. A lot of the examples, though, seem less than obvious that it's product placement.
Having name brands in a movie is just good storytelling -- you don't drink Generic Soda™, you have a Coke or a Pepsi, or Krogers knock-off, or whatever. You don't drive Mystery Brand™ vehicle transportation, you drive a Honda Accord or a Chevy Blazer or Mini Cooper. Specificity such as that is useful, and not product placement unless it was paid.
posted by teece at 4:53 PM on February 15, 2006
I can't believe there have been at least 4 posts about "I, Robot" and only one mention of Cellular. I mean, the closing credits were shown on the display of a Nokia 3650 phone - that's tough to beat.
posted by jedrek at 4:56 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by jedrek at 4:56 PM on February 15, 2006
Best answer: Directory of Product Placements in Films.
posted by ericb at 4:57 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by ericb at 4:57 PM on February 15, 2006
And just for reverse product placement....
Dick Tracy was in a similar vein -- all the products have stark black-on-white labels.
posted by jedrek at 4:58 PM on February 15, 2006
Dick Tracy was in a similar vein -- all the products have stark black-on-white labels.
posted by jedrek at 4:58 PM on February 15, 2006
brundlefly, d'oh. Mission to Mars, Red Planet, et al get mixed up in my head. It's all a big messed-up mars trip in my mind.
posted by nomisxid at 5:01 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by nomisxid at 5:01 PM on February 15, 2006
Nobody mentioned the iPod thing in Blade III? I haven't even seen the movie but I know about the iPod thing.
My favourite though, for whatever reason, is the Power Glove in The Wizard.
posted by synecdoche at 5:05 PM on February 15, 2006
My favourite though, for whatever reason, is the Power Glove in The Wizard.
posted by synecdoche at 5:05 PM on February 15, 2006
Terminator 2 had a lot of Subway Sub ads, as I recall.
posted by acoutu at 5:07 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by acoutu at 5:07 PM on February 15, 2006
There are tons I could add...but I'll just add one - National Treasure: Aquafina. Nicholas Cage's character uses an Aquafina bottle to magnify the $100 bill.
posted by MeetMegan at 5:11 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by MeetMegan at 5:11 PM on February 15, 2006
Independence Day was one that I remember for being especially egregious. The aliens use Macs? "Shoot that Coke can off the wing." "You mean that cool, refreshing Coke can?" "Yes, the Coca Cola can, for the pause that refreshes, off the wing."
posted by klangklangston at 5:12 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by klangklangston at 5:12 PM on February 15, 2006
Don't forget 'Wilson' in Castaway, too - the product is arguably a character.
Also The Terminal was loaded with placement for United Airlines, Burger King, Starbucks, etc.
posted by nathan_teske at 5:16 PM on February 15, 2006
Also The Terminal was loaded with placement for United Airlines, Burger King, Starbucks, etc.
posted by nathan_teske at 5:16 PM on February 15, 2006
I just saw Curious George this weekend and that lucky monkey got locked in a ship's hull full of DOLE bananas. When he got out, he went for a ride with the Man in the Yellow Hat in a lovely VW.
posted by jrossi4r at 5:20 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by jrossi4r at 5:20 PM on February 15, 2006
synecdoche mentioned the Power Glove from The Wizard, but didn't mention that the rest of the movie was pretty much a glorified Nintendo ad, complete with a climax that revolved around a hype-building exercise for the as-of-then-unreleased Super Mario Brothers 3.
posted by drumcorpse at 5:39 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by drumcorpse at 5:39 PM on February 15, 2006
Because of Winn-Dixie.
posted by FlamingBore at 5:48 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by FlamingBore at 5:48 PM on February 15, 2006
Rolling Rock beer in The Deer Hunter.
posted by elisabeth r at 6:01 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by elisabeth r at 6:01 PM on February 15, 2006
JekPorkins writes "ET - Reese's Pieces (in the book, it was M&M's, but they changed it for the movie after Hershey paid them)"
Actually it was that Mars refused to allow the use of M&Ms in the movie.
From Wikipedia: After Steven Spielberg's production company was unable to convince the makers of M&M's to let their candy be used in a key scene of the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the producers decided to use Reese's Pieces in the movie instead. A week after the movie premiered, sales of the candy tripled.
A blunder not surpassed until the owners of GI Joe refused to allow Sid to mutilate one in Toy Story. Every classic toy in that movie had a huge surge in popularity.
luneray writes "'Demolition Man' contains the immortal line 'now everything is Taco Bell', but that film may be older than you're looking for."
Switched to Pizza Hut for the Euro release because they don't have TacoBell in Europe.
There is a blatent pan of a Nokia phone in one of the Charlie's Angels movies that lasts for several seconds.
posted by Mitheral at 6:13 PM on February 15, 2006
Actually it was that Mars refused to allow the use of M&Ms in the movie.
From Wikipedia: After Steven Spielberg's production company was unable to convince the makers of M&M's to let their candy be used in a key scene of the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the producers decided to use Reese's Pieces in the movie instead. A week after the movie premiered, sales of the candy tripled.
A blunder not surpassed until the owners of GI Joe refused to allow Sid to mutilate one in Toy Story. Every classic toy in that movie had a huge surge in popularity.
luneray writes "'Demolition Man' contains the immortal line 'now everything is Taco Bell', but that film may be older than you're looking for."
Switched to Pizza Hut for the Euro release because they don't have TacoBell in Europe.
There is a blatent pan of a Nokia phone in one of the Charlie's Angels movies that lasts for several seconds.
posted by Mitheral at 6:13 PM on February 15, 2006
The above comments about Leica cameras got me curious. Surely the Leica obsessives have a database of movie appearances, right? Right.
posted by msbrauer at 6:16 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by msbrauer at 6:16 PM on February 15, 2006
Mac and Me is a 95 minute Coke commercial that bears a conspicuous resemblance to E.T.
posted by speicus at 6:29 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by speicus at 6:29 PM on February 15, 2006
Congo (1995) was promoted by Taco Bell (the way some Disney movies are promoted by McDonald's, with toys and what-not). So in one of the early scenes of the movie, there is zoom in, followed by slow pan out, on some Taco Bell meal a character is eating. I remember seeing it at the time (I guess I was 12 years old?) and thinking it was shameless. Now this kind of thing is so damn commonplace I don't even notice. Sad.
posted by Famous at 6:36 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by Famous at 6:36 PM on February 15, 2006
Holy cow, ericb wins - nice link!
How Brandchannel managed to locate a Ford ad in the Planet of the Apes movie is beyond me.
posted by junesix at 6:37 PM on February 15, 2006
How Brandchannel managed to locate a Ford ad in the Planet of the Apes movie is beyond me.
posted by junesix at 6:37 PM on February 15, 2006
Not sure if this counts, but Blade Runner? It's chock full of ads (signs on buildings, etc.). I guess it depends on how you define product placement. According to Future Noir, all of those signs were donated as props by the respective companies. The interesting thing is that a ton of those companies don't exist anymore (Pan-Am, for instance), prompting suggestings of a Blade Runner "curse."
posted by brundlefly at 6:37 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by brundlefly at 6:37 PM on February 15, 2006
suggestings = suggestions
posted by brundlefly at 6:40 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by brundlefly at 6:40 PM on February 15, 2006
In Romeo Must Die, Jet Li and his nemesis have a friendly kung-fu routine while juggling a bottle of Evian water. It was pretty obtrusive.
posted by BinGregory at 6:55 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by BinGregory at 6:55 PM on February 15, 2006
Charlie's Angels - for Nokia, if I recall correctly...
The Minority Report - all of the ads as the Cruise character walks through the mall (the one I remember the most is when he walks into the Gap)
posted by cajo at 6:57 PM on February 15, 2006
The Minority Report - all of the ads as the Cruise character walks through the mall (the one I remember the most is when he walks into the Gap)
posted by cajo at 6:57 PM on February 15, 2006
Reservoir Dogs has a great ad for Madonna's Like a Virgin album.
(But seriously -- Pulp Fiction & Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese)
posted by JekPorkins at 6:58 PM on February 15, 2006
(But seriously -- Pulp Fiction & Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese)
posted by JekPorkins at 6:58 PM on February 15, 2006
In Around the Bend, The patriarch in the film dies at a Kentucky Fried Chicken, but not before orchestrating a grand scavenger hunt in his will (written on a KFC bag) to help his son and grandson (& great-grandson) bond, leaving the instructions and map inside a bunch of nested KFC bags and requiring his family members to eat every meal at KFC, since that's where the family ate their last meal.
The odd thing is that KFC didn't pay for it (at least they say they didn't). And who could blame them not wanting to be associated with such a piece of shite?
posted by apple scruff at 7:21 PM on February 15, 2006
The odd thing is that KFC didn't pay for it (at least they say they didn't). And who could blame them not wanting to be associated with such a piece of shite?
posted by apple scruff at 7:21 PM on February 15, 2006
Natalie Portman gives birth in a Wal-Mart in Where the Heart Is.
posted by brundlefly at 7:32 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by brundlefly at 7:32 PM on February 15, 2006
The Dukes of Hazzard movie has a race-car driver character, and not only are his car and uniform covered in logos, his sponsors get mentioned by Jessica Simpson, as in "I hear Yahoo! pay you a hundred thousand dollars to have their name on the hood of your car" or something.
(What? I didn't rent it for me, my wife wanted to watch it!)
posted by AmbroseChapel at 7:44 PM on February 15, 2006
(What? I didn't rent it for me, my wife wanted to watch it!)
posted by AmbroseChapel at 7:44 PM on February 15, 2006
If you can bring yourself to watch "Baby Geniuses," which I would not recommend, there are so many product placements that I stopped counting pretty early on in the movie.
posted by jtron at 8:43 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by jtron at 8:43 PM on February 15, 2006
Not a recent example, but Love at First Sight, an early Dan Aykroyd film, had multiple references to Kentucky Fried Chicken, including a cameo by the Colonel (or a look-alike.)
Contact was a big commercial for CNN, including appearances by numerous CNN personalities. On the flip side, Independence Day, being a 20th Century Fox film (News Corp.), used a fictional American version of Sky News.
posted by evilcolonel at 8:59 PM on February 15, 2006
Contact was a big commercial for CNN, including appearances by numerous CNN personalities. On the flip side, Independence Day, being a 20th Century Fox film (News Corp.), used a fictional American version of Sky News.
posted by evilcolonel at 8:59 PM on February 15, 2006
Speaking of Yahoo!, their magazine gets pimped bigtime in The Wedding Planner.
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 9:08 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by nakedcodemonkey at 9:08 PM on February 15, 2006
Not exactly an answer to your question, but if I remember correctly, a major premise of The Truman Show was that all the revenue had to come from product placement because there were no commercial breaks. That's towards the beginning of your timeframe and it seems like that's about when paid product placements (in movies and TV) first started getting more attention.
posted by JMOZ at 9:14 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by JMOZ at 9:14 PM on February 15, 2006
Frank Booth: What kind of beer do you drink, neighbor?or perhaps
Jeffrey Beaumont: Heineken.
Frank Booth: Heineken? Fuck that foreign shit! Pabst Blue Ribbon is what you'll drink tonight!
Kilgore: Smell that? You smell that?posted by NortonDC at 9:22 PM on February 15, 2006
Lance: What?
Kilgore: Napalm, son. Nothing in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning.
Is Where the Heart Is product placement? The original book has Novalee give birth in a Wal-Mart. I'm not sure this is product placement anymore than a pop culture reference, like you'd see in a Douglas Coupland novel. I wonder how this worked for the studio. Did they approach Wal-Mart and do a deal? ET originally had M&Ms but M&Ms turned them down and Reese got in on the deal. Did Wal-Mart decide it would back a project with Natalie Portman? I note that the original book had a main character who was 37-lbs overweight, something of which we could not accuse Portman. I'd be curious to learn how pre-existing product mentions are handled.
posted by acoutu at 9:25 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by acoutu at 9:25 PM on February 15, 2006
Runaway Jury featured an iPod being used as a portable hard disk, I believe.
posted by gsteff at 9:43 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by gsteff at 9:43 PM on February 15, 2006
I am Sam had tons of product placements. The most obtrusive one was IHOP.
And no, I'm not proud of having seen that movie...
posted by arcticwoman at 9:43 PM on February 15, 2006
And no, I'm not proud of having seen that movie...
posted by arcticwoman at 9:43 PM on February 15, 2006
Return of the Killer Tomatoes made a joke of product placement, but it was almost certainly fake. (Likewise, Josie and the Pussycats' product placement was fake.)
posted by Zed_Lopez at 9:54 PM on February 15, 2006
posted by Zed_Lopez at 9:54 PM on February 15, 2006
arcticwoman writes "I am Sam had tons of product placements. The most obtrusive one was IHOP."
Didn't Sam work at Starbucks? Dunno, just heard about the flick from friends.
posted by brundlefly at 10:09 PM on February 15, 2006
Didn't Sam work at Starbucks? Dunno, just heard about the flick from friends.
posted by brundlefly at 10:09 PM on February 15, 2006
Come on, guys. Pulp Fiction's QPC reference was not product placement.
Now I'm really curious to know if soiled cowboy is looking for paid advertising in the form of product placement, or just a movie that has a name brand in it.
A decent chunk of this stuff is the latter, not the former.
posted by teece at 10:37 PM on February 15, 2006
Now I'm really curious to know if soiled cowboy is looking for paid advertising in the form of product placement, or just a movie that has a name brand in it.
A decent chunk of this stuff is the latter, not the former.
posted by teece at 10:37 PM on February 15, 2006
Response by poster: Now I'm really curious to know if soiled cowboy is looking for paid advertising in the form of product placement, or just a movie that has a name brand in it.
I'm looking for paid advertising, not so much the incidental use of branded products. The best example of what I'm looking for above is "Coyote Ugly". It seems closest in kind to the two examples in the original question, in which the product plays an integral part in the story.
posted by soiled cowboy at 11:16 PM on February 15, 2006
I'm looking for paid advertising, not so much the incidental use of branded products. The best example of what I'm looking for above is "Coyote Ugly". It seems closest in kind to the two examples in the original question, in which the product plays an integral part in the story.
posted by soiled cowboy at 11:16 PM on February 15, 2006
elisabeth r has it -- "That's a good beer. It's the best around."
posted by Hat Maui at 12:02 AM on February 16, 2006
posted by Hat Maui at 12:02 AM on February 16, 2006
The can of Dr. Pepper that Peter tries out his web on in Spider-Man is an annoying example (as is the already mentioned big green Carlsberg truck).
Not a product placement exactly* but I did get a laugh out of Jeff Goldblum's character sporting an old I'm a Pepper tee shirt in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
* The film-makers had to actually get Dr. Pepper's permission to use the shirt and, as far as I know, no money changed hands.
posted by blueberry at 12:09 AM on February 16, 2006
Not a product placement exactly* but I did get a laugh out of Jeff Goldblum's character sporting an old I'm a Pepper tee shirt in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
* The film-makers had to actually get Dr. Pepper's permission to use the shirt and, as far as I know, no money changed hands.
posted by blueberry at 12:09 AM on February 16, 2006
Charlies Angels II had T-Mobile product placement quite heavily. They also had an amusing moment when they picked out a Microsoft PDA and called it a Palm Pilot.
The only other one I can think of is AT&T in Back To The Future - but that is probably out of your timeframe.
Out of all the suggestions I've read so far, very few jump out as having completely-in-your-face product placement to the point it's nauseating.
Neither of mine fit that category either. Sorry.
posted by mr_silver at 12:55 AM on February 16, 2006
The only other one I can think of is AT&T in Back To The Future - but that is probably out of your timeframe.
Out of all the suggestions I've read so far, very few jump out as having completely-in-your-face product placement to the point it's nauseating.
Neither of mine fit that category either. Sorry.
posted by mr_silver at 12:55 AM on February 16, 2006
From Peter Bradshaw's review of Just Like Heaven:
Darryl comes round to the apartment and bafflingly announces he is thirsty and needs "some kind" of diet cola. We see him chug down a Diet Coke - the can is brutally visible in the next shot - and then we recommence the action. However much money the producers got for including that undisguised advertisement, it wasn't enough.posted by boudicca at 5:36 AM on February 16, 2006
Slightly out of your timeframe is Career Opportunities (1991). A pathological liar (Frank Whaley) and a disaffected hot-chick (Jennifer Connely) are trapped in a Target store for almost the entire movie - it's The Breakfast Club meets Home Alone.
More recent is Because of Winn-Dixie (2005) which probably counts though I haven't seen it and can't say for sure.
Way out of your timeframe (but it needs to be mentioned) is Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961).
You might also be interested in The Bulgari Connection though it's a book, not a movie (file it away till the inevitable adaptation).
More recent is Because of Winn-Dixie (2005) which probably counts though I haven't seen it and can't say for sure.
Way out of your timeframe (but it needs to be mentioned) is Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961).
You might also be interested in The Bulgari Connection though it's a book, not a movie (file it away till the inevitable adaptation).
The arts world was divided between shock and hilarity last night at the news that the latest novel from the best-selling author Fay Weldon has been sponsored by the Italian jewellery firm Bulgari - with a requirement in her contract for at least a dozen mentions of its products. </blockquoteposted by zanni at 5:39 AM on February 16, 2006
What about the infamous red Swingline stapler in Office Space? Not sure if money changed hands over that, but Swingline must sell truckloads of the things now.
posted by junkbox at 6:04 AM on February 16, 2006
posted by junkbox at 6:04 AM on February 16, 2006
What about the infamous red Swingline stapler in Office Space?
Prior to Office Space, there was no such thing as a red Swingline stapler.
There is now.
posted by grabbingsand at 6:16 AM on February 16, 2006
Prior to Office Space, there was no such thing as a red Swingline stapler.
There is now.
posted by grabbingsand at 6:16 AM on February 16, 2006
Best answer: I gather that you're looking for instances in which it seems as if the product could have been the inspiration for the film, rather than just prominent placement? (I've sometimes heard it referred to as "advertainment.")
Does the BMW short film series The Hire count?
Skimming through ericb's link, two that seemed (to me) closest to fitting what you're looking for:
- Are We There Yet?: "But mostly it’s a movie about a man in love with his Lincoln Navigator...."
- Pirates of the Caribbean: "Considering the entire film is based on a Disneyland ride, Pirates may be the most effective product/content integration ever. Disney did this once before with the Mighty Ducks, a pro hockey team."
posted by alyxstarr at 6:19 AM on February 16, 2006
Does the BMW short film series The Hire count?
Skimming through ericb's link, two that seemed (to me) closest to fitting what you're looking for:
- Are We There Yet?: "But mostly it’s a movie about a man in love with his Lincoln Navigator...."
- Pirates of the Caribbean: "Considering the entire film is based on a Disneyland ride, Pirates may be the most effective product/content integration ever. Disney did this once before with the Mighty Ducks, a pro hockey team."
posted by alyxstarr at 6:19 AM on February 16, 2006
One of the more painfully obvious placements was during the helicopter-motorcycle chase in Tomorrow Never Dies. Bond and Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh) are fleeing flying thugs when their motorcycle lands in the back of a flat-bed truck, sending the cargo crashing everywhere. The cargo? Bright green boxes of crisp, refreshing Heineken!
posted by grabbingsand at 6:29 AM on February 16, 2006
posted by grabbingsand at 6:29 AM on February 16, 2006
The first movie came before the hockey team.
You're right, smackfu. I had known that at some point but had obviously forgotten. So scratch Mighty Ducks as an example. Regardless, PotC still essentially fits. (And in my defense, I was just quoting from the brandchannel site. ;) )
posted by alyxstarr at 6:43 AM on February 16, 2006
You're right, smackfu. I had known that at some point but had obviously forgotten. So scratch Mighty Ducks as an example. Regardless, PotC still essentially fits. (And in my defense, I was just quoting from the brandchannel site. ;) )
posted by alyxstarr at 6:43 AM on February 16, 2006
Driving Miss Daisy (to the Piggly Wiggly lest you forget).
James Bond's ubiquitous Walther (in Dr. No he is forced to turn in his Beretta for the PPK and never looks back) or Dirty Harry's .44.
Let's not forget the product placement in the documentaries Supersize Me and Hands on a Hardbody, I mean talk about over the top!
posted by Pollomacho at 8:05 AM on February 16, 2006
James Bond's ubiquitous Walther (in Dr. No he is forced to turn in his Beretta for the PPK and never looks back) or Dirty Harry's .44.
Let's not forget the product placement in the documentaries Supersize Me and Hands on a Hardbody, I mean talk about over the top!
posted by Pollomacho at 8:05 AM on February 16, 2006
Adam Sandler's "Mr. Deeds" whole scene with the Wendy's chili and whatnot.
posted by UnclePlayground at 8:05 AM on February 16, 2006
posted by UnclePlayground at 8:05 AM on February 16, 2006
You all may be interested in Ad Age's online poll this week: Are marketers using branded entertainment effectively?
posted by MeetMegan at 9:10 AM on February 16, 2006
posted by MeetMegan at 9:10 AM on February 16, 2006
And, in Big Daddy (also Adam Sandler) Hooters and McDonald's play roles.
posted by MeetMegan at 9:11 AM on February 16, 2006
posted by MeetMegan at 9:11 AM on February 16, 2006
mr_silver writes "The only other one I can think of is AT&T in Back To The Future - but that is probably out of your time frame."
I watched Back to the Future this weekend and intentional or not the product placement is rampant. The movie starts with a 30-45 second close up of Nike's, a Sony walkman features prominently(understandable though considering it is 1985), and some ad exec at Pepsi must have sold his soul. I'm surprised the DeLorean wasn't a Mustang, today it probably would be.
posted by Mitheral at 8:51 AM on March 6, 2006
I watched Back to the Future this weekend and intentional or not the product placement is rampant. The movie starts with a 30-45 second close up of Nike's, a Sony walkman features prominently(understandable though considering it is 1985), and some ad exec at Pepsi must have sold his soul. I'm surprised the DeLorean wasn't a Mustang, today it probably would be.
posted by Mitheral at 8:51 AM on March 6, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by zanni at 3:37 PM on February 15, 2006