.Product Placement and Technology

Product Placement and Technology


JAMES BOND is known for many of his high-tech gadgets. Each gadget has its own unique purpose of is used in some way by him.
(Source: James Bond Casino Royale)

From his signature Rolex watch to his Aston Martin car, he is known to have all the latest technologies that the world has to offer. 


A segment from ROB FRAPPIER's article shows the great amount of money that is to be made from product placement.

(Source:http://screenrant.com/james-bond-product-placement-robf-113418/)

This may come as a shock to some, but movies are expensive to make. Especially big action movies like the James Bond films. That’s why more and more studios are turning to “brand partners” to help get their movies made, as director Morgan Spurlock explored in his recent documentary The Greatest Movie Ever Sold(check out our review and our interview with Spurlock).

But can too much product placement ruin a movie? What happens if corporate brands invest so much money into a film that the filmmaker loses control of the finished product?     

No film will answer these questions better than the as-yet-unnamed new James Bond film, Bond 23, which will set new records in product placement spending. According to a new report from The Australian newspaper (viaTheFilmStage.com), Bond 23 will get an eye-popping $45 million in funds from product placement agreements. That amount equals one-third of the film’s production budget.

To put that figure in perspective, the film that held the record previously was Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report, which received $20 million from product placement agreements. For the math haters out there, Bond 23 is getting over twice as much money from big brands.

With the exception of one long action sequence that took place in a Lexus factory (and conveniently ended with the construction of a sleek Lexus car for Tom Cruise to drive away in), 

Aston Martins: A product that has long been placed in Bond movies.

The James Bond franchise is highly recognizable and, thus, is also easily marketable. It’s no wonder that big brands want to be involved in the next film. One has to wonder, however, just how much influence $45 million buys. In a profit-driven town like Hollywood, I’m betting it’s a lot more than Bond fans would like.

What do you think of this news? Is product placement nothing to worry about, or is it risky to receive one-third of your budget from sponsors. 

Some products are used as heroes of the show.

A classic syndicated movie has been Independence Day.

In this movie, technology was used in order to save the human race.

This technology was the Apple MacIntosh Computer

(Source: Independence Day)

It became an iconic tool in order to plant the virus in the alien's system to render their shields useless in order for the human race to destroy the alien ships.

In LMFAOs video, "Party Rock Anthem"

(Source: Music video by LMFAO performing Party Rock Anthem featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock. (c) 2011 Interscope)

At the exact time of 1:35, the guy freaking out is telling them to put on the "Beats by Dr. Dre" so that they won't hear the music going on...One of them puts them on showing that he can't hear anything when the gentlemen freaking out is yelling at him. Here they try to show the quality and efficiency of this product.

Technology is on the rise everyday. it will never cease or 

stop to exist. What more of a reason for companies that 

belong to the technological business to always to continue 

to want to use product placements to introduce a new 

product or to strengthen the bonds people have towards 

their already existing products. By using popular media 

vehicles and

celebrities, they can consistently have an influence on the 

ever-changing  mind of the consumer.

Product Placement with Alcohol and Cigarettes

PRODUCT PLACEMENT with ALCOHOL and 

CIGARETTES !!!!!

 

(Source: Dos Equis)

(Source: Marlboro Man)

Alcohol and Cigarettes have been around since before advertising existed.

Its time we exploit how it has been making its way into product placement.

(Source: LMFAO performing Shots. (C) 2009 Interscope Records)

Watch the video and count how many different drink names they come up with. If you hear in the song, LMFAO

 mentions that they love taking shots of 

Patron. 

      This song promotes alcohol to the fullest saying that it makes you cool, helps you have a good time, and get with the ladies. 

i guess you could could think of this catchy music video and song as a huge product placement for the consumption of alcohol in general.

(Source: Music video by Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain performing Blame It. (C) 2009 J Records, a unit of Sony Music Entertainment )

Once again, the chorus refers to specific alcohols  like Grey 

Goose Vodka, Patron, and Hennessy. In this specific video, 

like many videos that mention alcohol with this genre of

music.

MOVIES WISE

                                     SUPERBAD

In the movie Superbad, as the character Seth trying to get alcohol you can see some of the product placement  in the background. 

You might be asking, where are the cigarette product placement?

(Source: David James; Photo: David James)

In the movie Constantine, there is almost always a scene where Keanu Reeves's character is smoking.

Tod Casey asked this question to Mr. Reeves about him smoking during the movie.

"So how many cigarettes do you have to smoke in a given day? You lit up about 25 during shooting today. 
There've been some days where there have been a lot of cigarettes. Definitely in the 30s and 40s."

(source: Wizard Magazine #150 (US), April 2004)

There is 20 cigarettes in each pack. imagine doing those takes over and over again; but it probably isn't to strenuous for him because he is such a chronic smoker anyway.

Although in this movie, the consumer is bombarded with the concept of smoking in every scene, there is also a scene in the movie that shows what smoking can to your lungs with all the tar build up. It shows cigarettes in a negative light in the end.

This movie is not only poking fun at smoking; but it is also showing a little comical insight on what the tobacco industry among the other industries mentioned in the trailer are doing to get people to buy cigarettes.

Alcohol and cigarettes (Tobacco Products) have become a big part of product placements today. If you haven't noticed, you can almost always see and hear one or both addictive products being used in a television show, music video, or movie. Maybe it adds to the scene or maybe it is being used to promote a new product, we may never really know the true intentions of these product Placements except for making sure that they get brand awareness to consumers and that they hope to increase in sales from their many product placements.

Product Placement and Music

PRODUCT PLACEMENT and MUSIC!!!!

People everywhere are listening to music on their radios, cell phones, portable music devices, the Internet, T.V. and even at sports games.

One of the earliest product placements was in an American baseball tune we seem to hear at every ball game.

This tune "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" written by in 1908 by Jack Norworth and later scored by Albert Von Tilzer, the chorus goes like this:

Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game.

(source: http://money.howstuffworks.com/product-placement8.htm)

Product placement in music would continue to grow from here.

Ashkan Karbasfrooshan in his article The Growth of Product Placement in Music Videos said that "The Lady Gaga video for "Telephone," for example, has been viewed 108 million times on YouTube. It included product placements from Miracle Whip and Virgin Mobile."

(Source:http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/149688/)

It also included cans of Diet coke that were used as hair rollers.

This means that 108 million people and counting have seen these products.

Lady Gaga being a prominent singing icon and having many fans can positvely affect the brands displayed in her music video. They might want to drink Diet Coke because she had it in her video. Some other interesting facts about the video and her intentions with product placement.
Some placements were paid, but a surprising number weren’t—a rundown:

·         Wonder Bread: Unpaid. Used in a sequence showing Gaga poisoning diner customers, because Gaga wanted to contrast the poisoning with an all-American brand.

·         Miracle Whip: Paid. Used in the same scene—and for the same reason—as Wonder Bread; seems to be part of the spread’s new, edgier campaign.

·         Diet Coke: Unpaid. It was Gaga’s idea to curl her hair with Diet Coke cans in the video as an homage to her mother.

·         Virgin Mobile: The cell phone in the video is a nod to the company, a mobile sponsor of Gaga’s Monster Ball tour.

·         Polaroid: Camera and photo booth featured acknowledge Gaga’s role as Polaroid’s creative director.

·         Heartbeats headphones and Beats laptop: Unpaid. An extension of her partnerships with Interscope Music and Hewlett Packard.

·         PlentyofFish.com: Unclear. Possibly the weirdest deal of the bunch; result of the dating site's partnership with Interscope.

(Source: http://www.newser.com/story/83253/lady-gaga-video-has-lots-of-product-placement.html)

There are many popular songs new and old that contain Product Placements
ELVIS promoted BLUE SUEDE SHOES indirectly in general with a brand not necessarily in mind.

KODAK CAMERA featured throughout the song "Give Me Everything"

In the beginning, Pitbull talks about Kodak, at 2:19 of the song, someone takes a picture of him and at the very end, 

there is a huge Kodak billboard with him sporting the camera in his hand.

According to TMZ, Brittany Spears made half a million dollars from the product placement in her video "Hold It Against Me." Among the products features in the clip are various Sony televisions and monitors, Make Up Forever Eye Shadow, Spears' own Radiance perfume and the dating site Plenty of Fish.

(Source:  http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/britney-spears-made-500-000-from-product-placement-in-hold-it-against-me-video-20110222#ixzz1uPUE9vdV)

WHY do the product placements exists in these music videos?

  According to a report released last week by PQ Media, a research firm, the money spent on product placement in recorded music grew 8 percent in 2009 compared with the year before, while overall paid product placement declined 2.8 percent, to $3.6 billion.

The money is often used to offset the video’s cost, which is usually shared by the artist and label.

Patrick Quinn, chief executive of PQ Media, said that revenue from product placement in music videos totaled $15 million to $20 million last year, more than double the amount in 2000, and he expected that to grow again this year.

(Source:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/business/media/06adco.html?_r=2)

As you can see and hear, Product placements in music videos are also becoming popular. It has become a win-win for music videos. The video gets funded with more spending money and the product gets to be seen. 

Product Placement and Video Games

A new age of Product Placement is on the rise!

Product Placement in VIDEO GAMES!!!!

(source top: UBISOFT)

Video games have been a new frontier in reaching consumers. Product Placement has reached video games and has helped make a game more realistic to gamers and the fictional world(s) they live in.

To visually see and hear products that are included in a game can cause the consumer to be interested in the product or even want to buy the product.

(Source: Infamous 2)

An article dating from 2006 by Erika Brown of Forbes.com stated that "Today there are 132 million teens and adult gamers in the U.S., where nearly half of all households have a game console; marketers are desperate to engage this well-to-do audience. Spending on in-game advertising and product placement, $56 million last year [2005], will reach $730 million by 2010, predicts Yankee Group, a Boston research firm."

(Source:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13960083/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/t/product-placement-rise-video-games/)

Music Product Placement in video games is on the rise as well. Paul Christ of KnowThis.com states that "Game developers have taken advantage of the enhanced gaming environment by populating their software with numerous songs from the genres aimed at younger players...After playing a game for may weeks, the gamer may be exposed to a song well over 100 times."

With new games and new songs coming out, gamers will be able to listen to artists that they like on their favorite game that they like to play. From playing these games myself, some of the games incorporate buying new songs from itunes to incorporate in your playlist.

A lot of these features are mostly in every racing game out there.

Besides the music, racing games provide real-life advertisements that will cause the driver feel like he is driving pass real places.

(source top: http://blog.tusharnene.com/2010_04_01_archive.html )

(Source:http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/06/13/in-game-advertising/ )



Some Racing games even contained Political Ad Campaigns form Obama.

(Source bottom: EA)



        Burnout Paradise featured Obama Campaign ads.

Marissa Meli of ugo.com stated that "Barack Obama paid $44,500 for in-game banners encouraging Burnout Paradise players to vote for him in the 2008 U.S. presidential election."

(source: http://www.ugo.com/games/video-game-product-placement )

Talk about some outside-the-box thinking.

Product Placement can be found in popular online games like Farmville located through Facebook.

In sports video games, advertising in the form of product placement can be limitless, especially when the newest Electronic Arts (EA) game comes out. These games range from football to hockey, baseball, soccer and so on. David Kiefaber of brandfreak.com stated in his article that "The study , commissioned by Electronic Arts on behalf of Gatorade, showed that in-game advertising across various EA titles increased household dollars spent on Gatorade by 24 percent."

(source:(http://www.brandfreak.com/2010/09/in-game-advertising-boosts-real-world-sales-according-to-study.html)

 

Product Placement throughout games displays the creativity and ingenuity of companies trying to target the consumer. This in-game advertising has only begun to recently surface amongst brands everywhere, willing to have long-lasting advertisements.

 

Most gamers like myself tend to play a game we like often. In doing so, we are exposed to these Product placement hundreds, if not thousands of times throughout the playing of these games. If my favorite game in corporates "Snickers" ad or maybe a "Dominoes Pizza" ad, it might induce me to go buy that item when I am not playing my game.

 

 Product Placement in video games more than likely have a bigger effect on the gamers than "we" realize. The question is for these companies is: how can they measure the outcomes of the Product Placements?

 

Chris Morris in his blog found one answer to this question. After debuting its Bing search engine in June 2009, Microsoft promoted the Google-competitor in a series of games, including “NBA 2K10” and “DJ Hero”.

After their first exposure to the ads, the percentage of gamers visiting and searching Bing increased by 108 percent, according to Microsoft. In fact, two-thirds of the gamers who visited Bing after seeing the ad were visiting for the first time. 

The recall rate of Microsoft’s ads was a surprisingly high 71 percent – and, according to the company, 60 percent of the gamers it spoke with said they had a more positive opinion of Bing after seeing the brand in a game."

(Source: http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/study-video-game-ads-boost-real-world-sales-67.html)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Product Placement and Sports

SPORTS!!!!!!

 Sports have played a big role in involving Product Placement.

Sports have been consumed by product placements. There is literally not one sport, popular or not, that is not sponsored by, or contains a product placement from a company.

Sports enthusiasts and fans alike are bombarded with the constant product placement and advertising that is involved with the sport or sports of their choosing.

One could wonder if people that watch their favorite sports team(s) buy the products that the team/stadium represents. NASCAR for example, not only has the car decked out but the pit teams are decked out in "brand" clothing.

(Source:qatarcultureclub.blogspot.com) 

These product placements are seen by many people. The brands seem to be in a gamble with making sure that a good driver represents them so that they win or at least recieve a high place in the race. If the driver does win, his car will also be shown. Those advertisements will be seen even more prominently.

 As you can see below, there are some pretty high costs to even advertise on the car.

(source: qatarcultureclub.blogspot.com)



Product placement in American football is continuing to prosper. Every bowl game in NCAA football is sponsored by a company.

(Source: pointofthegame.blogspot.com)

This picture above clearly shows that sports like football wouldn't be as commercialized and wouldn't generate nearly as much money if they didn't have product placements or sponsorships like these.

RAFAEL NADAL

(Source:http://www.styleite.com/media/rafael-nadal-french-open-watch/attachment/rafaelnadal/)

Not only do big bowl games include the product placements, but the players themselves. Seeing your favorite player wearing a brand can cause, as stated earlier, you to wear that brand.

Notable players especially have a BIG influence.

The down side, is that if the player gets in "trouble," he/she can represent the brand in a negative light, rendering the product placement with little value. 

TIGER WOODS

(Source: http://www.annehelenpetersen.com/?tag=us-weekly)

Overall though, Product Placements in sports have and will continue to make the sports industry huge. These companies add so much more to the game by providing teams the best products so that the players can play their best. Shoes, Jerseys, Pads, Equipment, you name it and you can bet that it is provided for in some way by a company. Product placements provide more color, excitement, and pizazz to games everywhere. It provides a sense of unity between the players and the fans, as well as providing a way for people to enjoy and feel confident about using these brands. 

Product Placement and America

Most people might think of product placement as just brands from companies; but have you ever thought of product placement from our own country. Some examples that I will present to you today will be the product placement of our military and other jobs that could be connected to or be associated with our country that some might consider being an honorable job.

The first example would be from the the movie Saving Private Ryan.


(source top: http://www.listal.com/viewimage/899088)
(source bottom:http://mrbruns.ning.com/profiles/blogs/assigned-blog-4-613?xg_source=activity)

Private Ryan Commerating a fallen soldier and friend. Many of whom died to protect our freedoms.

This movie showed some really heart crushing scenes that gave us only a taste of what happened on the beaches of Normandy.

Saving Private Ryan although took place in WWII is still a favored movie in minds of those who have and choose to serve our great country.

The Product Placement would be the military. It takes guts, no pun intended, to fight till your dying breath. War is Hell but for those who are involved in it, they are in Hell with their Brothers in Arms.

Another example of courageous military efforts is shown by the best of the best in the movie Black Hawk Down.

(Source top: http://www.pixmule.com/black-hawk-down/4/)

Here Army Rangers and Delta Force Marines work side by side each other in what was supposed to be raid; but turned quickly into chaos after two black hawk helicopters were shot down.

The Product Placement in this movie not only showed all the gear and equipment that gets used by the soldiers, but it also shows the magnificent Black Hawk helicopters that were used. We get to see the technology that our brave men used to defeat the enemy and to save fellow soldiers lives.

A vivid and memorable scene in the movie was when the second Black Hawk was shot down.

In the midst of that

(Source Top: Black Hawk Down. No copyright infringement intended)

(source Bottom: http://prweb0.voicenet.com/~lpadilla/blackhawk.html )

GARY IVAN GORDON (1960-1993)Master Sergeant, Sniper Team Leader, Task Force Ranger, United States Army Special Operations Command

RANDALL D. SHUGHART (1958-1993)

Sergeant First Class, Sniper Team Member, Task Force Ranger, United States Army Special Operations Command

These Brave and Valiant Men both recieved the Medal of Honor. The highest medal and award a soldier could recieve. If you saw the video above you would understand why.

The product placement here is simply that America has the best soldiers.

A young man or woman who sees the efforts that these men showed might also want to prove that they themselves can too serve their country. These movies, although sad, are movies that can help in recruiting men and women of the United States to want to do their part in serving their country.

Not all of the Product Placements have to do with the Military.

A good but fictional example of this would be from the movie

ARMAGEDDON and the USA NASA program

(Source top:http://www.thefancarpet.com/ActorGalleryPicture.aspx?mga_id=18875&a_id=265 )

In the movie, Earth was about to be hit from an asteroid.

America's NASA program and these men above along with the NASA pilots would be the saviors of the world.

(Source Bottom:(http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20015186_20016836,00.html)

The NASA Program is given a big plug in this movie. Look at what are supposed to be some of the most intelligent people in the world doing even though are probabley not saving the planet right at this moment.

(Source Bottom:(http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/09/30/mars-asteroid-congress-approves-nasa-budget/)

The last example of Product Placement that has shown our country's best is our Coast Guard, in the movie:

(Source Bottom:http://www.listal.com/viewimage/1250151h)

The Coast Guard process can be a rigorous process to get through as are any of special and honorable careers. Throughout this movie it shows the long process of Ashton Kuthcher's character commiting himself to the program to become a Master Diver in order to be out there and save people's lives.

This clip gives an idea of what they do and the sacrifices they make

(Spoiler ALERT; this is the ending of the movie, if you haven't seen it)

(Source Top: The Guardian)

All these movies and more show Product Placement as a means of entertainment to some, but to others like myself, a commemoration to the Men and Women of our armed forces and careers that are equally as honorable. May we look at these product placements with a sense of pride and passion for our country. If we decide to volunteer our lives just like they have or we help in supporting our troops, we MUST make sure to never forgot what these people do for us EVERYDAY.

Also as a side note: May We also NEVER FORGET!

Source Top: (http://www.thelunatick.com/wtcmemorial/index.htm)

Product Placement Then and Now

PRODUCT PLACEMENT= As defined by businessdictionary.com, is an advertising technique used by companies to subtly promote their products through a non-traditional advertising technique, usually through appearances in film, television, or other media.

The first product placement to be known, that most likely wasn't paid for, is shown here in the clip of this silent film, dating back to the 1800s or 1896 to be exact. The film is titled Defile du 8e Battalion (Giirel, 1896)
In this segment of the film, there is a wheelbarrow brought into the picture displaying the Sunlight Soap logo. A very subtle showing of advertisement compared to our new day and age.

-Source: Institut Lumiere in Lyon / Jay Newell, Iowa State University / iTVX Product Placement Measurement http://www.itvx.com/


Product Placement has had an impact on the world in our present day. It can shape in the most unique ways, our attitudes and beliefs about the products we buy. Product Placement has progressed through the ages and has captured our hearts, minds and sometimes our stomachs.  


For our Hearts. A movie that created a lot of fond memories would be E.T.-The Extra Terrestrial. In this clip, it shows how Reese's Pieces were firstly used to capture the attention and lure of E.T. to come into the house. 

(source: E.T. The Extra Terrestrial via Youtube.com)


Although this next clip is a commercial, it brings the memories of E.T. being tied to Reese's Pieces.

(source: The Hershey Company i.e. Reese's Pieces via Youtube.com)


Of those people who watch the universal networks of television might have seen the show Modern Family.


In the episode called the Game Changer, the dad, Phil Dunfee, is expressing how much he loves the iPad that he received for his birthday.


For our Minds:

(source:<-- Modern Family--Game Changer via Youtube.com)                                                               (source----->Apple Inc.)


 This is a prime example of the difference between how "a supposed to be subliminal" product placement can turn into an obvious one.


And finally a look at our Stomachs, that are seeming to increasingly become more popular.
In one of my favorite Adam Sandler movies, Billy Madison shows its Subway colors.

(Source: youtube.com---Billy Madison)


Product placement can also be found in cartoons such as The Simpsons. As to whether the companies are paying for this publicity, Bad publicity or Good publicity is still important to have to increase Brand Awareness. This is especially true for such a popular show. Here are some funny clips taken from The Simpsons.

(Source: The Simpsons show via Youtube.com)
Product Placements have been apart of our lives and are ever increasing to be "obvious" advertisements in movies, television and other media. Think of it as a Mass Media "Where's Waldo." If you look for it, there can be a guarantee of product placement in about everything we watch nowadays.