Brian

Sorry to disappoint you, but your post will be staying on my site.

BTW, I really don’t think your analogy of using Superman on my site is valid. People come to news sites to actively look for information on Superman and other films.

I understand what you’re saying, but perhaps if the placement of products/ads in movies was more subtle and less obvious then it wouldn’t be such a big issue.

For example, look at the success of the RAZR phone. I’ve noticed that phone used extensively on different televsion shows, but because it’s such a distinctive design, it was easy to identify without having an extreme closeup of it. Just seeing someone using it from a respectable distance was enough. It’s a cool phone, my wife has one and yes, part of the reason is probably because we’d seen it on “24″ and maybe some other shows. But I remember an extreme close up of a Nokia phone in one of the Charlie’s Angels movies that was just stupid. I mean it was a shot of the phone by itself (I don’t remember the context) and I remember reading that the scene was re-shot specifically to better highlight the phone.

Stuff like THAT makes me explicitly NOT want to purchase the product.

I know advertisers are getting nervous, especially with the advent of DVRs which allow people to skip commercials, but I say the answer is not to get in consumers’ faces, it’s to start thinking of clever ways to advertise. Again, I’ll bring up “24″: Does anyone in that show NOT drive a Ford? But you know what? It’s not obvious, so it works.

BTW, a big part of the reason that I get annoyed with especially obvious product placement in films (and on a related note, commercials before movies begin in theaters) is that if you remember back to the old days when HBO was just getting it’s start, the entire concept of PAYING for what you were watching was so that you DIDN’T have to watch commercials.

Tell you what, drop movie ticket prices back down to $3 and maybe I’ll shut up about the whole thing.

Deal?

Best regards,

Vic

“Nowadays, placements are frequently part of a larger marketing campaign, often involving a joint-promotion between the studio and manufacturer. The studios are extremely interested in promotions that add marketing muscle in opening a picture.

Companies are digging even deeper than before for placements. Madison Ave re-named it product integration. Results product placement is now a billion dollar business… THIS CULPRIT as you put it is an X propmaster (22 years) WHO USED PRODUCT PLACEMENT to help me stay in my budget. I am a true film maker.

Its ok to not like or want product placement and I will fight for your right to say what you want.

You can have thousands sites like this but companies who want to reach billions of people will still embrace product placement. As a matter of fact,since you started this web page companies joining product placement agencies is up 75% and several other countries have cleared the way for product placement in their movies and tv shows.

90% of our exposures are free, only 10% are fees and unfortunately it seems the industry is moving more towards fee’s than barter.

I also can’t help but notice you are using Superman in your site. YOU ARE DOING PRODUCT PLACEMENT FOR WARNER BROS..

I hope you did this product placement correctly, you know getting permission to use Warner Bros. product!!

Of corse if I don’t see this response on your site, then I must assume you are one sided.
Jay May
The Culprit

I think it’s possible to show products without being blatant about it, angle the product to where it’s not directly facing the camera and things along those lines.

And you’re welcome.

Vic

Not all product placements make sense. Nor should it be so blatant.

To some productions without product placement the film may never have been made.

The Culprit

In “CastAway” Wilson the charactor would not have worked if Tom Hanks yelled “basketball”.
No one would have cared.

Also thanks for the link it has brought me new business

Vic

Brian

Which movie are you referring to? Back to the Future II did NOT show those items as relics.

They were all part of wonderful future tech:

- A micro pizza that was done in two seconds.
- Self-securing sneakers.

And I don’t remember the AT&T reference, but it was futuristic as well.

Vic

It’s the movies that do product placement for the sake of product placement that really irk me. For those shameless people, it really is all about the benjamins.

Brian

They whacked us over the head with Nike, Pizza Hut and AT&T pretty hard.

Vic

My award would have to go to I, Robot with the shameless pitching of shoes. Should have renamed it I, Shoe (with a robot)

Brian