Product
placement has always been a part of popular TV and cinema. If you think about
it (when it’s done right), it’s a completely necessary thing. The fact is
sometimes product placement is done well, and sometimes it’s done very poorly.
The reason
product placement is such a good move for television and movie producers, is
because everybody wins.
- · First off, the companies that agree to have their products in a movie or show can see huge profitability. It allows them to advertise to the exact target market they want, because people who watch a show often have similar demographics and behavior.
- · Second, the film makers benefit by it because they are compensated for spotlighting a product, whether it is cash or just providing their product. This could be as simple as Starbuck’s supplying a film set with free coffee in exchange for being included in the production. An example on a larger scale is the movie Transformers. GM didn’t actually pay Paramount a dime to have their product in the movie, but they supplied them with over $1 million in vehicles.
- · Finally, the viewer benefits. How annoying is it when you are watching a show and a character picks up a can that says “Light Beer?” It completely ruins the realism of the piece. Having real products that a consumer can relate to makes the viewing experience more enjoyable
Wayne’s World does
a great job of poking fun at poor product placement. The scene involves Wayne
claiming he would never sell out to a corporation, and then he goes on to
painfully emphasize several brand names. While some might find this cheesy,
Pizza Hut, Doritos, and Pepsi knew exactly what they were doing. Think about
the market segment likely to be watching Wayne’s
World. They’re probably stoned outta their damn minds. What better to pitch
to them than junk food?! Not to mention that sort of corky comedy is great
promotion to that kind of viewer. Altogether I feel that this series of ads
created a great marketing mix and was very successful.
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