By Brian He and Lee Li(Group 178)
We’ve moved from the age of interruption to the age of engagement- Cindy Gallop
Do you like to see a movie in the cinema or house? Do you want to be a person like James Bond or Miranda Priestly? Do you ever consider to buy a product because of a film? It is the charm to customer that product placement make a deeply impact in our brain.
007 series probably is the most successful case in product placement, Aston Matin, Lotus Esprit, BMW, OMEGA and etc, those brands become a key factor in the 007 series movie. Audiences can clearly see brands image, logo even features, you maybe feel the role profession, status and attitude from those brands which result in the James Bond becoming James Bond. Being a common audience, I completely accept the product placement like that, and those brands is a necessary part for 007 series, also become a continued tradition in the film culture.
Those brands make a huge profit from the product placement, BWM company increase more than 240 million value of automobile after the Golden Eye. OMEGA create a series of watch products according to 007 film. All the watches in the 007 can find in the official website with giant poster. The impression in the film provide an opportunity that audience become a James Bond by those brands.
More visual example is the film named as The Devil Wears Prada. It is just an advertisement for luxury brands. Although the director doesn’t show any brand name in the film, the audience especially female is too sensitive to research the product in the film. Increasing the lighting, expression and other features, the product presents a gorgeous impact to customer. You maybe buy those products in brand store unconsciously, actually you accepted and maintained those information from the film, and customer will prefer to buy those product because of the film.
The successful product placements have a similar way, those brands and film are a customer fit between the film targeting and brand targeting. Those products also should accord with the role image, I guess James Bond certainly doesn’t want to eat the KFC in the truck.
- Do you think customer whether to affect by product placement directly or not?
- What is the advantage for product placement comparing with advertisement?
resources:
https://ravesimone.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/product-placement-the-devil-wears-prada/
http://www.luxurydaily.com/strategic-product-placement-in-media-can-influence-brand-perception/
http://adage.com/article/news/global-branded-entertainment-trade-group-formed/41527/
Marketing Management Blog 
Hi Brian and Lee,
Product placement in film, tv, music video and even video games clearly works because corporate incentives from product placement now constitutes significant portions of their production budgets.
This trend is more and more prevalent in independent films as well, and the identification of product placement opportunities as well as the securing of appropriate corporate partners is an important part of the role of a film’s Producer of Marketing & Distribution. This is a relatively new role in a film production crew that didn’t really exist 10 years ago, because filmmakers and financiers have become more savvy to the fact that marketing, corporate partnerships and distribution are factors that should be considered right from script stage and through to the film’s completion.
More and more these days, every scene is broken down at script stage to work out how a marketing opportunity can be seamlessly interwoven without creating a jarring viewing experience for the audience. Ideally the audience will never notice the advertising within the film/tv show/video game/music video. They’ll just develop a sudden urge to buy a Beats by Drey Pill and have no idea why.
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Great Blog and topic thanks. You raise an interesting point, i have often wondered about the merits of product placements in movies. From a personal perspective i have never seen a product in a movie and rushed to go buy it. I do think that product placements have an important role in managing brand & image and as we know this is a key influencer in a customers buying decision. What happens though if you place a product in a movie that is a flop? Does that mean you product will likewise fail? food for thought
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I have to say YES.
This kind of advertisement is more efficient and impressive. The film shows us about the prodcuts more detail and a good preception. The digital film directly and powerfully tell us who is suit to wear it, and how you give the image to other people when you weared it. For example: the Aston Matin, how a beautiful and glamour car it is. No one want to reject it.
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marketers pay for product placement for their products to appear on movies and on television Placements come as a result of larger network advertising deal and other times are good ties with designers and production executives. Other companies such as Nike do not pay to be in movies but they supply shoes ,bags and jacket and by this they are able to market their product in another way.
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Hi Guys,
I’ve always been interested in the amount of attention product placements receives as a form of advertising. Do people buy something because it’s featured in a movie or worn by a famous character? I think the answer is the same as in most forms of advertising, it comes down to the individual and how that particular forms of advertising appeals to them.
As the cost of producing blockbuster Hollywood movies has increased product placement has become an effective to reduce the cost burden on studios, as such it is being more and more embraced. Skyfall, the highest grossing film in the franchise, a single appearance of James Bond drinking from the classic green Heineken Bottle netted the Producers a third of the production costs back (http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2012/oct/23/skyfall-marketing-james-bond).
In terms of the effectiveness of product placements Marketers need to walk the tightrope of making sure an audience registers the product without irritating them by pushing it in their faces. Product placement considered to be unnecessary to the plot (http://whatculture.com/film/10-seriously-ridiculous-instances-movie-product-placement.php/2) or gratuitous (http://www.businessinsider.com.au/15-worst-movie-product-placements-2013-5#the-first-film-to-unabashedly-peddle-to-product-was-the-1927-silent-movie-wings-a-hersheys-chocolate-bar-was-not-so-subtly-introduced-into-the-narrative-1) can often garner a significantly negative reaction from consumers and media. However, as the saying goes, any publicity is good publicity as this still draws attention to their brand, with the Producers of the film often coping the heat.
Overall, I think product placement is here to stay. It gives the potential for Marketers to promote their product from indirect celebrity endorsement and help establish it in popular culture.
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Hi There
Great blog, and something everyone can relate to!
I think product placement can be a very useful tool for brands. Its a great way to achieve exposure to a desired target audience, and brand awareness can be magnified. There has also been studies that consumers are able to recall a brand easier when its linked to an audio visual setting i.e. romantic picnic with “South cape” cheese (for any Bachelor watchers out there).
However, I feel product placement must be balanced and not go on for to long or numerous times as this may have an adverse effect on the consumer. If the placement is too long, I know I have become suspicious and start to question the ‘true’ purpose of the commercial and form adverse behavior to it i.e. a large corporation subconsciously trying to coerce me into buying their products. My question is how long is too long for product placement?
I think there are numerous advantages to product placement. Consumers get to learn about new products and their benefits in a relatively realistic life setting and companies also get inexpensive branding of their product.
Overall, I think the practice of product placement is accepted, but I think it must be balanced with ethical considerations such as advertising tobacco or firearms. Also, if product placement becomes too prevalent it may be seen as being commercially excessive and being downright intrusive to viewers watching their favorite movie or program.
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Answering your first question, in my opinion customers are affected by product placement. The James Bond series of movies have been immensely successful since its inception in 1962. James Bond as a character has been portrayed to be elegant, fashionable, classy and a high roller in society. He is seen wearing the best brands, driving the fastest cars and using the latest gadgets. In most of the movies, James is seen driving the latest Aston Martin. Hence, when a person sees an Aston Martin, he is immediately reminded of the movie. More so, a viewer subconsciously connects the car to the characters personality, giving the impression that the car too is a premium high-end luxury brand. Hence, this reiterates the fact that a well thought of product placement does have an impact on consumers.
Product placement is a marketing strategy that has accidently evolved over the past few years. Making an advertisement costs about $50,000 to $400,000, whereas product placement costs only a fraction of that. If the movie is successful, the brand in that movie becomes popular. Fortunately, if the movie does not do well, the brand name does not get negative publicity. Product placements that can illustrate a believable lifestyle are more likely to attract consumers than a branded social video. Product placements subtly relate the characters in the movies to the products that are being endorsed. This exposure to the brand as a part of the movie is way more. This is because while watching a movie in a theatre or at home, the activity captures most of the viewer’s attention. On the other hand, commercials and ads are known to be avoided and are very often ignored by general audiences who want to skip it and move straight to the main event. As compared to commercials, product placements in movies (when well synchronized) are often seen as a part of the scene and not a distraction.
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Great blog, but I personally disagree, of course based on my own experience only. As a female with a reasonable amount of disposable income and an obsession with fashion, I seldom buy products consciously or sub-consciously because of product placement in a movie, commercial or magazine and I love all the above.
I love the movie the Devil Wears Prada and whilst they didn’t position the brand logos or brands, someone like me knows what they are looking at when they are experiencing or seeing a luxury brand item. Did I tell you I have an obsession with fashion 🙂
In answer to your question about customers being affected by product placement directly or not? I think the answer is yes. When the TV show sex and the city ran in Australia for a few years, the credit card debt in females 18-35 rose considerably, because everyone wanted to be Carrie Bradshaw. This was an extremely sorrowful situation for many women, but they needed to have the latest of everything and this was when all the luxury brands started introducing entry price point products, so they could sell you a Chanel wallet ($900) not the 2.55 iconic handbag ($5000 – $8000), scarves, sunglasses, shoes, etc.. The comment below is from an article I read and the I have provided the link for you.
Sex and the City was revolutionary the first time around. I attribute my career, credit card debt, shoe addiction and ability to tell my great aunt at family functions without shame that ‘yes, I’m still single’, to the trailblazing series.
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/is-sex-and-the-city-still-relevant-20130619-2oib3.html
Fortunately for me, whilst I love fashion, I am more obsessed with being financially secure.
Good luck with your essay.
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Interesting blog, when product placement within movies was increasingly being used 10 years ago, especially in the Bond series of movies, it was interesting to see the new BMW, Tag watch etc. But now the use of these product placements is used almost to saturation point and is seen in a more cynical way. Comments such as “That product was placed there because of marketing dollars not because of practicality of use, I’m definitely not buying that”. This marketing strategy, while it can be effective and have a global reach, can also have a detrimental effect to the product, especially if the placement in the movie is poorly considered, or just a bad movie, resulting in the negative connotation with that product.
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An extremely popular way for big brands to get publicized. The movie of hrithik roshan (talking about krrish series) is one of the first big mover to recover its production cost solely through this product placement. It made crores of rupees in krrish before launching. Now a days getting popular with the reality shows (also called sponserer) and in some popular TV shows.
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1. Do you think customer whether to affect by product placement directly or not?
I do believe that product placement affects how people perceive the product. James Bond, wearing Omega would create awareness of Omega, build positive associations such as adventure, durability, intelligence etc. As a result, my behavior when looking at buying something special would direct itself towards Omega.
2. What is the advantage for product placement comparing with advertisement?
Some points which may be advantages for product placement are:
• Awareness raising for new products.
• Alternative uses and situations for a product.
• Captive audience as there are no interruptions
• Exposure to wide target audience.
• Long-term reminder
Product Placement catches viewers while they are enjoying themselves, therefore they are not as critical to the promotion or advert.
Yet, given the product placement is mainly in international films, this could be confusing to the target audience who might have different values and beliefs.
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From your examples customers are clearly affected by product placement. And at the high end as well.
Product placement is a form of advertising with some companies paying for their products to appear in movies, tv programs etc. The advantage being that we can imagine ourselves as the ‘everyday families’ that appear on soap operas having a piece of their lifestyle by consuming the same products that they do. Equally with your James Bond example. We can be just a little bit like him if we have the same car, watch etc (if of course you can afford it!).
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Thanks for the blog. Product placement infiltrates everything we watch, and is not confined to large scale films and include current TV shows such as The Block etc. Some readings suggest that ‘placements’ give the product a situational context, either in real or imaginary environment, and potentially gives more meaning to the product; trying to make it more real (relevant and relatable). I agree with above bloggers that there needs to be seamless integration within story line for it to work…however, I often cringe at the obvious nature, and the overuse of some placements. Companies pay big$$$ for the opportunity and expect good representation and coverage. Sadly, I expect this infiltration will continue.
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Interesting blog. Product placement plays crucial role both directly and indirectly on all individuals to buy products that are portrayed in movies, advertisements and even news papers. Few people get directly influenced to buy those shown in the movies especially Bond series as mentioned in the Blog. Indirectly people getting influenced are by their peers, friends and family members to buy those products. Unless the life style of people is not dramatically effected, product placement can be encouraged to operate in ethical way.
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An entertaining topic, quite literally! I must say I myself have noticed numerous product placements in feature films and television shows be it major products like supercars, ray-ban sunglasses or tiniest stuff like heinz ketchup. I feel it relates to product’s image branding and associating it with big names and popular actors.
According to me, product placement strategies do not work directly (atleast in most cases) on the consumers, i.e. they may not be compelled to buy a certain product just because it was glorified in a movie. But what it impacts on is the consumer’s psychology and their raised inclination towards a certain product due to its association with a character or movie they liked.
Basically, the strategy of product placement does spread much awareness amongst the audience but it may not always directly raise the product sales or company profits.
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Thoughtful Blog..!!
Product position assumes vital part both straightforwardly and in a roundabout way on all people to purchase items that are depicted in films, ads and even news papers. Few individuals get specifically affected to purchase those appeared in the films particularly Bond movies as said in the Blog. In a roundabout way individuals getting impacted are by their companions, loved ones individuals to purchase those items. Unless the way of life of individuals is not drastically effected, item position can be urged to work morally or ethically.
All the Best..!
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Interesting topic covered through this blog!!
I would like to mention two more brands which are associated with James Bond movies – Seiko and Sony
In the 1977 James Bond movie – The Spy Who Loved Me, throughout the movie bond was wearing the Seiko 0674 5009. He receives a ticker-tape message on the watch, telling him to report to MI6 Headquarters:
007 TO REPORT HQ. IMMEDIATE. M
Again, in 1983 film Octopussy, He used the Famous Sports 100 model of the Seiko G757 modified to track a transmitter.
In the 2008 James Bond movie Quantum of Solace, Daniel Craig used a Sony Ericsson mobile phone – C902 Cyber-shot in Titanium silver edition.He used it throughout the movie to capture evidences and assist his agent on the mission
Above mentioned are just few of the instances in which James bond flaunted seiko and sony products. What is the need for an already established name like Jame Bond to endorse or flaunt such products in the movie?
In a interview with The Daily Express, Daniel Craig quoted “A movie like this costs $118 million to make… And it costs another $200 million to sell it. So the $200 million has to come from somewhere.”
To the watch or mobile companies product placement, in such high profile movies, equips them with a virtually guaranteed global media platform for their products. Also, it they feel more assured of being able to get customers for their products. Generally, products promoted through movies, TV series are from limited edition categories which are very expensive. Additionally, these companies use the charisma and style quotient displayed by these super heroes or action heroes in their movies to sell their products. Even the customers relate to the masochism exhibited by these superstars by using these gadgets,
Hope this helps!!
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Great blog i would say yes i do. yes whenever i see movies i keenly observe the products and the brands that are advertised in the same but indirectly this is also one different kind of marketing of the products and brand which helps both the company and movie maker also.
Product placement is a marketing strategy that has accidentally evolved a few decades ago.Nevertheless, the efficiency of the product placement has been spotted by professionals and since then various companies engage in product placement activities in various levels with varying efficiency. One of the main differences of product placement from other marketing strategies is the significance of factors contributing to it, such as context and environment within which the product is displayed or used.
There have been many researches on the subject of product placement undertaken by different authors at different points of time. The use of product placement as an effective marketing strategy has intensified mainly during the last three decades it mainly focuses on 3 areas such as
1. The nature and prevalence of product placement in movies.
2. The beliefs and attitudes regarding product placement.
3. The effects of product placement in movies and television.
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Its a great blog, i would like to add a few of my insights.
Product placements in movies are a great way of advertising your product to the world. But, it does not work every where and with everyone. For example, if you guys have watched the movie The Island, its a must watch movie, has about 30 product placements ranging from xbox to Budweiser to calvin klein.
However, product placements don’t work very efficiently as there are many barriers like country barriers, reach of a product barrier. As this movie was released in the year 2005, some products like the michelob light an alcoholic beverage and the Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream shown in the movie was not even introduced to the indian market, so even if i was very much influenced and persuaded by the michelob light and the Ben and Jerry’s product placement, which i wouldn’t but still if i was, i couldn’t have got the product immediately in india. This is the few simple barriers and ineffectiveness of product placement, but in terms of making a brand familiar over the globe, its the best way to do it.
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This blog is interesting.Product placement is a key element because it gives an all time reach to the product.For example if you take an advertisement,maximum its freshness will last for 3 or 4 months whereas in this case each time when people watch the movie the brand name name will pop up and it makes the brand young even if its old movie or new movie doesn’t matter.In product placement they focus on Brands where as in advertisement they usually focus on Brand products.
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The product placement in movies is an interesting method of advertising. I think it may not directly have an impact on the sale of a particular brand but it does have an impact. It’s like you hare sitting in a theatre concentrating on the movie and so this brand, now this gets recorded on your mind at subconscious level. And at some point of time you do recall the brand like mention Aston martin cars used in James bond. So we can that product placement in a movie may not have direct impact but it does have an impact
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product plcement in movies was always one of the best way to prmote brands people are fascinated by their move stars and once they seen that their favorite movie star is using a perticular brand they feel like following them. mission impossiable is yet another movie that promets brand like james bond movies. if you follow this link you can seen that the hero of the movie is using a BMW bike. watching this trailer will make you understand that in the movie BMW bikes are prometed , the hero also comments about the quality of the bike in this trailer which makes it even more intreasting and helps in the promotion of the particular brand
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Great Blog!
Yes and No. Yes, product placements in movies tend to catch the attention audience, making it a valuable strategy but usually has less persuasive capacity as compared to a full fledged ad. Product placement has been in the James Bond movie since Dr. No and many people who grew up with the 50 year old franchise can probably name some of 007’s favorite brands. Aston Martin, his Walther PPK, Rolex and Omega watches, you name it. So it’s no surprise that the latest Bond movie, Skyfall, managed to rake in 1/3 of its budget ($45 million) from Heineken alone.
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I agree with the blog u have posted mate. The indirect advertisements in the well known and famous movies plays an important role in promoting the brand image of the product. It has the major impact on the people who are fond of the movies and specially the actors and actresses. As they are the ideals of the customers.
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