Top 10 Most Shameless Uses Of Product Placement In Film
22.06.08 # Top Ten # 81 CommentsAh, good old fashioned movie product placement. Being an angst fuelled youngster, product placement is one of my favourite areas in which I can pin point and rant about corporate greed in the most cliché “stick it to the system” manner possible. The basic idea of product placement is to make more money to finance your film by placing specific products within a film, such as through characters, placements in the mis-en-scene, and often even in the dialogue of the script. In a certain way, product placement can add to realism within a film, as it would be silly if people were drinking from a can marked “Beer” or a packet marked “Cigarettes” in true Orwell’s 1984 fashion.
However, in the ever growing corporate dominated world we live in, the entertainment business has been a breeding ground for corporate greed and product placement. Sometimes it really does add to a film’s overall feel, and it is easy to understand a film that is struggling to get production money needing a financial boost from a company by promising to show, or advertise, their product in their movie. Nine times out of ten, however, it really is greed, and the placement is so cringingly obvious that it almost adds a humorous effect to the dialogue and in many cases ruins a film. Allowing product placement to take place in your film definitely effects the artistic and creative direction of your film, as you are made to accommodate for the different products within dialogue or shots on location etc.
What follows is a top 10 list of the most shameless examples of movie product placement, but first, some brief insightful words from the king of surrealist film making in the western world, Mr. David Lynch.
10. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Converse)
Harry Potter seems like an unlikely place for product placement, as after all it is set in the fantasy world that is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, as the Potter franchise edges into the latter films of the series, up props some great opportunities for some product placement aimed directly at the kids. Young adults are the perfect demographic for Harry Potter, and indeed the new age revisited trend of Converse shoes.
The fact is; Luna Lovegood’s shoes could have been any brand, or even just some plain black shoes- but they just had to be Converse, didn’t they? What follows, is a clip from the scene in which the shoes most prominently feature. I particularly love the way that the camera pans down to reveal them like some sacred idol.
back to the future 2, a scene, an ad! to work out the product placement in that film it’s easier to work out what wasn’t in there!
The Last Mimzy = Intel. Pretty strong one there.
i can think of 2 movies i think are note worthy for product placement and not on the list.
castaway the whole thing was a fed ex commercial
and in behind enemy lines when owen wilson gets onto the that truck and the kid pulls a coke out of the brown paper bag
I guess movie product placement can be seen negatively too. “Super Size Me” anyone?
Blade Runner!!!! It’s definately one of THE most product placement plastered films I’ve ever seen.
The Stepford Wives(2004) is another one. Apple, Microsoft, IBM…
Transformers was basically a two and a half hour long GM and Air Force commercial. I still like the movie, though.
I went through every comment and did not once see what I thought was the most gigantic product placement in a movie EVER. Several Adam Sandler movies have already been mentioned … but how could you not include “Little Nicky”??? Popeye’s Fried Chicken has almost more lines in this movie than Harvey Keitel!! They even haul in a giant bucket of the stuff [and it doesn’t even COME in a bucket — I’m from New Orleans — I grew up with Popeye’s]. And the line “Popeye’s is the shiznetz!!” At least some of the others are SLIGHTLY more subtle — Popeye’s in this movie smacks you across the face like a two-by-four. BIG omission.
Not a big movie, but “American Flyers” seemed to be a two hour commercial for McDonald’s.
FAIL!!!
Josie and the Pusycats was a two hour commercial with like 15 different products in you face the whole time. It is with out a doubt the #1 Product Placement film of all time and it didn’t make the list.
@ Jason – Why were you watching Josie and the Pusycats?
Agree that product placement is nothing to be afraid of, as long as it is done well. As for those who think it should not be, in Germany they are not allowed to use real brands and have companies that make ‘fake’ products for thier films. I think it adds a touch of realism to have real products, I really like the Pan Am in 2001.
Evolution should be number 1, the weapon used to kill the mad thing at the end is Head & Shoulders, the whole film is 100% based around it! Also, minority report is ridiculous for product placement…
Winner in my book is still Pepsi and Back to the Future. I was expecting Doc to pop ice cubes into Marty’s Pepsi in the third film set in the Old West. I HATED that Toy Story shamelessly added Barbie into the mix after Mattel turned Pixar down for the first film- oh wait!!! successful millions of dollars? Here’s Buy Me Barbie in scene after horrid scene! ugh.
Wayne’s World has the biggest placement of all
and its also the funniest one
i cant believe josie and the pusycats is not on this list the whole move is just product placement its basically just a 2hr commercial
Im not gonna read Through ALL the posts but you totally left out Bladerunner. That movie is choc filled with ads and giant billboards.
Any movie that carries with it a product placement curse deserves a nod.
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