A Simple Plan:

Ad Placement and the Movies

Perhaps you have seen some movies which features products that are very familiar to you. IF the product is a favorite or if you have something like it, then you get delighted seeing your favorite actor using it or eating it. In a very subtle way, many companies have used movie scenes to advertise their products. While the are movies where you can hardly notice products that are being advertised because of the subtle way it was presented, you will also find movies that are obviously advertising products. Indeed, there are some company owners who have paid producers and directors so that their products will have ad space in the movie.

Here are some popular movies we have seen that presented ads in a subtle and not-so-subtle ways.

Ad space was given to AOL and Starbucks in the movie, Youve Got Mail. Without AOL in the film, there would be no story. And Starbucks had its piece of space when Tom Hanks makes a wisecrack about its obscurity.

In the movie Sex and the City, many products were advertised. Since fashion is a constant theme in the hit TV series, the movie featured dozens of fashion labels including Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Nike, U-Haul, Apple, and Marie Claire were also included in the hit movie.

In a scene in the movie E. T., Elliot is seen using Reeses Pieces to entice E. T. back to his house which made the Hersheys company reap much profit from. Although done in a very subtle way, the sales of Reeses Pieces increased tremendously when the movie became a box office hit. This is a very effective subtle technique. You can discover more about how this technique can work.

The not-subtle-at-all ad placement is seen in Adam Sandlers movie Little Nicky. In this movie Adam, Satans son, learns how to eat Popeyes fried chicken with the help of a talking dog, with a big K-mart bag on the side.

In Waynes world, the most quotable quote is I will not bow to any sponsor. This movie provided the plot to advertise blatantly. It was clearly an advertisement for Pizza Hut when he opened a box while saying the famous line. You see Wayne eating from a bag of Doritos and drinking Pepsi while explain that he doesnt believe in selling out. And, Garth adds his own unsolicited opinion on the idea of selling out while wearing Reebok gear from head to toe.

People react in many ways seeing familiar products in movies. There are those who dont care. Others felt it was done without taste. But there are those who cherish the familiarity. This method of advertising has allowed companies to reach a worldwide audience. If you find your product in a blockbuster movie, millions of people will see it.