Product Placement in Movies

Product placement is commonly used in films as a source for alternative advertising. In some films product placement is seamlessly incorporated into the movie and doesn't seem intrusive or forced in a particular situation. At the same time, some movies excessively use this form of advertising and it becomes more obvious and seems unnecessary to the viewer. After watching a short YouTube video featuring product placement in films, I was able to see some of the most obvious examples of product placement in movies such as: Sex and the City, Superman, Casino Royale, Spiderman, I am Legend, Transformers, Bad Boys 2, and Iron Man. While I had seen four of these movies before, I hadn't noticed how commonly advertisements are used in films until I was directly looking for it.

As I watched this YouTube video and looked for product placement, I noticed ads for Sprint, Louis Vuitton, Netflix, Chanel, and Starbucks in the movie Sex and the City. These products stuck out to me because they were all brands I had heard of and were either part of the dialogue or being actively used by a lead character in the movie. In the next clip of the video, Superman, I noticed Marlborough and Coca-Cola because they were shown as huge outdoor ads and were both directly incorporated into the action of the film. As with many James Bond movies, product placement was heavily used in Casino Royale, but the main products I noticed were Sony Ericsson cell phones and Ford vehicles. The next film featured in this YouTube video was Spiderman. Even though I have seen this movie numerous times, I had never focused on the product placement that is used when Peter Parker tests out his new spider-like web powers on a Dr. Pepper can. Another scene in this movie that uses product placement is when the Green Goblin comes to wreak havoc on the citizens of New York. In this clip, a variety of billboard advertisements including companies such as Prudential and Samsung were shown, but I hadn't previously noticed these brands being advertised. Following this film, product placement in the movie Transformers was featured. Although I have not seen this film, the clip gave me the impression that product placement was not as smoothly integrated into the story, but rather more obviously used. This was apparent at times such as when Megan Fox's character is sitting in front of a giant Burger King sign, the close-up shot of a Panasonic memory card, and the close-ups of a Porsche and Chevrolet vehicle. For some companies, I noticed that their products were being promoted in multiple movies, such as Bad Boys 2 promoting Ford cars, and Iron Man's Tony Stark holding a Burger King sandwich, which suggests that these companies utilize product placement often.

One particular product that really stuck out to me was the Louis Vuitton bag featured in Sex and the City. In this movie, the meaning of the handbag develops as Jennifer Hudson's character, Louise, explains to Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) that she rents high-end fashion purses from top designers. This brand also becomes significant later when Carrie gives Louise her very own Louis Vuitton bag. In our culture, the brand Louis Vuitton is associated with expensive, chic, luxurious products that only the wealthy can afford. In this film, Louis Vuitton is targeted towards fashionable women that are interested in up-scale designer handbags. Although it is targeted to the more successful woman, it is also targeted to middle-class women because Louise mentions that she rents her purses through Bag Borrow or Steal. After watching Sex and the City and seeing this YouTube video, Louis Vuitton does seem like a luxurious product that is reputable and fashionable. Although I like this brand, the video did not make me prefer this product over other designer handbags. Even though I like how they created a story with this product in the movie, there are other designer brands that, although I may not be able afford, I would prefer.

As more consumers find ways to avoid conventional advertisements, product placement in movies and television has become more prevalent. Although many companies integrate their products successfully into movies, it is important that companies do not overuse this alternative form of advertising. While it's often beneficial for an actor or popular character to promote a product in a noninvasive way, this alternative could become problematic if it is exploited to the point of irritation.