Current Events > Still trying to understand why blatant product placement in film bothers people.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Especially of products they actually like! That's just, bizarre to me. Like seeing sears in plain view of a fight scene or a superhero team eating at dunkin donuts ihop.

Or this scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEsMrQri7_w" data-time="

I die every time lol, it's hilarious. That scene probably paid for the entire movie hehe.
---

saspa posted...

That scene probably paid for the entire movie hehe.

So why do I have to pay to see the movie as well?

JE19426 posted...

saspa posted...

That scene probably paid for the entire movie hehe.

So why do I have to pay to see the movie as well?

Boom
---

saspa posted...

Like seeing sears in plain view of a fight scene

That one was hilarious just because it was the only thing that survived that fight, and yet it's probably the only business in Metropolis that wasn't there at the end of the film.
---

I'm watching through Dexter again, and MAN, could I go for some Jose Cuervo!
---

seeing a sign in the background is fine with me. It gets irritating when there's an unnecessary zoom in on the sign or something.

of course it should also make sense for a sign to be there. So if we're in a city, it's whatever. But in War of the Planet of the Apes they're trekking through the wilderness and find an abandoned Coca-cola truck and it just feels out of place.
---

The Converse product placement in I Am Legend is still one of the most blatant attempts I have ever seen.
---

If it is done in natural way i like it. I want to see by heroes having breakfast with Pops and not CJ-Os. However something like in the clip you posted is just jarring to me. Takes me out of the movie.
---

yeah it kills the immersion. Makes me think about advertising and how cheap these suckers must be to need the money this badly.
---

Neither of your examples bother me, but I wouldn't describe them as blatant.

When they outright start talking about the product, and praising it, that's where it gets weird.
---

Tc...have you seen the fresh hot turd that is Power Rangers? You'll swear off donuts for the rest of your days
---

HitTheGroundWal posted...

Neither of your examples bother me, but I wouldn't describe them as blatant.

When they outright start talking about the product, and praising it, that's where it gets weird.

How's this one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5WgAubyhYw" data-time="
---

Ah, I didn't watch the video, I pretty much ignore videos on CE since I don't want my recommended stuff messed up. I only even just noticed there even was one in the OP.
---

Product placement doesn't bother me as long as it's natural in the course of a film (e.g. having a dinner scene at Applebee's or something, or cars in a driving scene having the make visible). Going out of one's way to insert a product is a no-no to me though.
---

bover_87 posted...

Product placement doesn't bother me as long as it's natural in the course of a film (e.g. having a dinner scene at Applebee's or something, or cars in a driving scene having the make visible). Going out of one's way to insert a product is a no-no to me though.

It also kind of depends even when it is natural. For example if they have a dinner scene at Applebee's, they better not be shown ordering specific items or talking about how much they love the restaurant.

Like in some Adam Sandler movie I can't remember because I just happened to catch one scene on TV, he was gonna go to McDonald's for breakfast but he gets delayed and misses the 10:30 cutoff and there's a closeup of his sad face when he goes "Oh no I missed McDonald's breakfast!" :'(
---

The only product placement I ever had a problem with were the Progressive trucks in Need For Speed: Carbon.

It was almost like they were purposely put in the way of your car during races...
---

On the other hand, sometimes it's played up in a self-aware meta way for laughs, and thst can be pretty entertaining.

Like the Powerade vending machines in Enter the Matrix. There was one in the airport, which was natural enough, except that it's actually an obstacle, lol. And then later they had one in some really off-the-wall place like in the greasy interior of a power plant or whatever. And the best part was you can actually push the button and a bottle comes out.

It's great because it embraces its own shamelessness, lol.
---

DevsBro posted...

On the other hand, sometimes it's played up in a self-aware meta way for laughs, and that can be pretty entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lgLYGBbDNs" data-time="

I don't care until it's sacrificing the artistic integrity of the filmographer's vision.
It's one thing to have Iron Man driving an Audi but when they frame a laptop's branding directly in the center of the screen, trash.
---

St0rmFury posted...

HitTheGroundWal posted...

Neither of your examples bother me, but I wouldn't describe them as blatant.

When they outright start talking about the product, and praising it, that's where it gets weird.

How's this one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5WgAubyhYw" data-time="

Ok I do absolutely loathe this scene but only because the product is stupid as hell and because early 2000s Will Smith was such a fucking tool with his entire getup. The stupid hat, the earring... like, his cameo in that awful ben affleck movie jersey girl is probably the culmination of 2000s tool will smith with that fashion sense.

But otherwise, most obvious scenes don't bother me, and I'm ambivalent about the products.
---

lilORANG posted...

seeing a sign in the background is fine with me. It gets irritating when there's an unnecessary zoom in on the sign or something.

of course it should also make sense for a sign to be there. So if we're in a city, it's whatever. But in War of the Planet of the Apes they're trekking through the wilderness and find an abandoned Coca-cola truck and it just feels out of place.

How? Coca-Cola likely has tens of thousands of trucks/trailers around the world, randomly coming across one isn't too far out of the realm of possibility.
---

One of my favorite movie series is the James Bond movies. They're full of product placement, but it makes sense because Bond is a man who enjoys nice champagne and cars. Even the books had mentions of real life brands.

In other movies, things like characters drinking a coke instead of just generic "Soda" is fine.

Now when it comes to obvious commercial ials in movies it's annoying. Most of Adam Sandler movies contain obvious product placement put there just to sell products. That's because of all the various studio partnerships with other companies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLsak2Ek0Lw" data-time="
---

lilORANG posted...

seeing a sign in the background is fine with me.

Supposedly, the Max Brothers invented that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Happy#Production

Questionmarktarius posted...

lilORANG posted...

seeing a sign in the background is fine with me.

Supposedly, the Max Brothers invented that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Happy#Production

Product placement in general was invented by Josiah Wegdwood, the guy the famous Fine China brand is named after. He would pay the artists of the time to paint a piece of his porcelin into their paintings of rich famous people, effectively also inventing transfer advertising.

He also invented various manufcturing methods and improvements on porcelin itself. He's my favorite historical figure and frankly my pick for smartest person who ever lived.
---

JE19426 posted...

saspa posted...

That scene probably paid for the entire movie hehe.

So why do I have to pay to see the movie as well?

---

Questionmarktarius posted...

DevsBro posted...

On the other hand, sometimes it's played up in a self-aware meta way for laughs, and that can be pretty entertaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lgLYGBbDNs" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9hepxidZyo" data-time="
---

This is why commercials completely removed from the show itself don't really bother me, like on hulu. Hell of a lot better that commercials injected into the content of the show.

The first time I really noticed it was Casino Royale, where Bond had an Xperia phone and literally everything was BLU-RAY
---

Coffeebeanz posted...

The first time I really noticed it was Casino Royale, where Bond had an Xperia phone and literally everything was BLU-RAY

There was also that dialogue with Vesper about his watch, which ruined an otherwise iconic scene.
---

Heavy greeking bothers me more than product placement.
---

Though I did like how it played into the plot of the Josie and the Pussycats movie, the meta product placement joke has been overdone for years now and poking fun at it doesn't make it any better.