Product Placement in Movies

[SirOllyBolly]

Now that Quantum of Solace is with us – let’s have a look at product placement in movies.



Although I’ve not seen the movie yet, I do have the PC game – on the front cover of which is a picture Daniel Craig clearly displaying a watch in a most contrived fashion.



The only other blatant product place outside of Bond movies that comes to mind is Sid James in one of the Carry On movies where he opened a cupboard to reveal a stash of Johnny Walker Red Label Scotch Whiskey.

[Tony Pendrey]

I suspect it has been going on for as long as they have been making movies.



Sometimes the product is needed to give a sense of realism to scenes.



One that springs to mind is Harry Palmer (M. Caine) ordering a Lowenbrau beer.



That seems much more real to me than if he just asked for a beer.

Was it PP ? Only they know.



Sometimes the filmakers have to resort to distracting props to avoid PP where, I assume, they couldn't get somebody to stump up.



So you get things like a box of cornflakes on a table labled "Cornflakes".



I remember reading about how much certain companies paid to have their logos in "Bladerunner". Ridley Scott even shot certain scenes so that the logos would be framed in a certain way. Money talks.

[Bernardo]

Even better produce an 'own brand' then make a series of movies, Star Wars immediately comes to mind.

[DB7]

I normally don't mind but Bond advertising Coke is detrimental to the character. Putting him in a Mondeo in CR was bad enough. Is he just to be whored out to the highest bidder regardless of product suitability.



In the next film he'll wear a Chelsea jersey....

[batman]

name='DB7']

In the next film he'll wear a Chelsea jersey....

Why not? After all, John Terry did play Felix Leiter in The Living Daylights.

[smudge]

The brand I always recall is Johnnie Walker whisky - I think it had a monopoly in 70s Britfilms... quite often the black label variety.



Smudge

[dremble wedge]

name='SirOllyBolly']Now that Quantum of Solace is with us – let’s have a look at product placement in movies.



Although I’ve not seen the movie yet, I do have the PC game – on the front cover of which is a picture Daniel Craig clearly displaying a watch in a most contrived fashion.

Which Jonathan Ross 'persuaded' Daniel Craig to donate for BBC's Children in Need when he was on his show recently. Craig didn't look too happy about it

[davidb]

fiat promised the producers of the italian job the earth if they used their cars in the movie , 3 fiat 500s with superchargers instead of the mini coopers .thankfully they didnt , they stuck with good old british leyland who couldnt have cared less about product placement and gave no help whatsoever ! ah those were the days

[Captain Casper]

Quantum of Solace's product placement is awful. You're assaulted with brands even before the film starts.



Perhaps the next Bond outing will have him destroying an evil corporation hell-bent on subverting the human race with its products. Step forward Sony.

[Mark O]

Carlsberg Lager in 'Ice cold in Alex', though I'm unsure if it or any Lager was available on tap in Britain World War II era?

[DB7]

Live and Let Buy: how James Bond got a licence to sell - Telegraph

[christoph404]

There are huge amounts of money at stake in film of this scale, QoS I think cost £100 million to make, you could easily spend the same again on international advertising, I guess one can see Bond producer Michael Wilson's point when he states that product placement helps generate publicity for the film but I can't help wondering whether a Bond film needs that kind of "free" publicity. Casino Royale made half a billion dollars and was seen by an awful lot of people, its an advertising cash cow for sure but its also a little distracting to have it shoved in your face in a fairly unsubtle way when you are involving yourself in the drama on screen. Product placement has certainly come a long way since the 60s and the first Bond, it more or less didn't really exist or manufacturers certainly hadn't tapped into the value of that kind of exposure. There are some very famous regretful errors by some rather big brands who refused to lend their product for exposure in film or TV, as mentioned by DavidB,the producers of "The Italian Job" had to buy the minis for the film as Austin/Rover refused to assist or be involved! Jaguar refused to lend their new E Type Jag to ITC for Roger Moore to drive in "The Saint" so he ends up driving....a Volvo! In the first Bond films Rolex refused to lend out any watches, Cubby Broccoli reputedley removed his own Rolex from his wrist and tossed it to the wardrobe department for Connery to wear. Bond originally wore a Rolex, now he wears an Omega and flies first class Virgin Airways. Wilson says they don't get paid by the companies they promote but I bet the Bond team are supplied with flights around the world by Virgin during filming and for the promotional world tour by the cast and director, Craig is supplied with watches to wear, an Aston Martin to drive, and possibly all the coca cola he can drink! That all equals....money.

[jamesharris]

interesting article thanks DB7



apart from the ridiculous amount of pp in QOS..and both posters feature the watch to a ridiculous degree..the worst example that springs to mind is Oral B and Eau Sauvage aftershave in Blue Ice

[Lord Brett]

Bond has a sort of get-out-of-jail-free card on then product placement front, as the prominent featuring of various luxury products was an integral part of Fleming's style.



As for the Bond movies, Moonraker has some of the most outrageous examples of product placement, and that came out nearly 30 years ago.

[jamesharris]

name='Lord Brett']Bond has a sort of get-out-of-jail-free card on then product placement front, as the prominent featuring of various luxury products was an integral part of Fleming's style.



As for the Bond movies, Moonraker has some of the most outrageous examples of product placement, and that came out nearly 30 years ago.

an ambulance driving past billboards doesn't seem unrealistic to me...

[Lord Brett]

name='jamesharris']an ambulance driving past billboards doesn't seem unrealistic to me...

It was the gag where a villain lands in the gob of a giant British Airways hostess which pushed that sequence over the edge.