From ET to Entertainment Tonight
| posted by Heath RowThe first major product placement I can remember is the use of Reese's Pieces in the film ET. After M&Ms passed on the chance to be featured, Hershey picked up on the opportunity -- resulting in one of the more successful candy launches.
This weekend, Brandchannel launched Brandcameo, a new service that tracks product placements in new movies -- as well as films dating back two years. It's an interesting inside look at what movies might move what products -- and there are some interesting trivial highlights: Cap'n Crunch got placed in the Butterfly Effect, while Lucky Charms made Kill Bill Vol. 2.
Where do your products need to be seen? Were you to liken your business or work to a current movie, which would it be?
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Recent Comments | 2 Total
September 27, 2004 at 11:26am
Chris HouchensI don't think the question is where your products need to be seen now. It's what are you going to do next to capture the market's attention.
We're at the top of the curve with brand placement in entertainment. With E.T. in the early '80's, Reeces Pieces were absolutely the first movers with this type of marketing. (if you don't count early TV and radio show sponsors) The rest of the early adopter marketers straggled in through the rest of the decade, with entertainment brand placement just becoming "hot" in the last few years. If your company is just now considering placing your products, you're lagging behind and have already lost the race.
The surest sign that something has already past its prime is it's overuse and misuse. Consumers can now tell that a company has placed it's product in TV or movies because marketers are no longer subtle with it...they're inserting tradtional interruption media into the show.
The most blantant and crass examples of this are from two "reality" TV shows...After watching "the Donald" on NBC's Apprentice last week, I found myself hating Crest and the very thought of vanilla flavored toothpaste. And ABC's Extreme Makeover - Home Edition just beats the Sears Corporate taglines to death.
With BrandCameo, Brandchannel just provides the most recent example of the death of traditional advertising and, for that matter, the death of brand placement. After a new marketing trend has been written about in the trades and then "the website" pops up to track it....you're too late to get in. You're at the end of the adoption curve. You're the guy who bought his first VCR in 1995 and thought he was being high-tech.
What has worked in the past WILL NOT work in the future (and barely works in the present). The question you should be asking is: What am I doing to make my marketing stand out that no one else is doing? Be the market leader.
September 27, 2004 at 3:30pm
LisaWell, I think it's just kind of a fun thing to think about. What movie would I liken my work too? "Titanic" maybe. Kidding! I'm kidding.
I think it would really be cool to see Tony Soprano reading a copy of Fast Company while he's waiting to see his therapist.