Have you ever been watching a movie and noticed that one of the main characters is drinking your favorite soda, maybe Mountain Dew, or using an Apple laptop? Maybe it’s your favorite television show and your favorite character is driving a brand new Toyota. Sometimes we blatantly notice product marketing like this in movies, television shows, and music videos, and sometimes they are so subtle we don’t even know we’re being marketed to.
Either way, the placement of these brands and products in your favorite flick is no accident. This is called product marketing or embedded marketing and it is the process of a company partnering with an entertainment producer or creator to promote or “place” a product or brand within that medium to reach a certain target audience.
These paid product placements are appealing for entertainment producers and creators because it helps fund their work. However, many are cautious of how they place products in their work, as well as the quantity of products placed. Consumers are very aware when products are being stuffed in their face and can quickly turn against a piece of entertainment if they feel the product placements are intrusive.
The best product placements are strategic and often subtle enough that they catch the consumer’s eye without distracting them from the movie or television show that they are watching. Product placement is an exceptional marketing technique that, when done correctly, can make a huge impact among target audiences and cultivate exceptional brand awareness.
Take a look at some of these product placements in popular movies and television shows:
Dick’s Sporting Goods in Iron Man 2
Coca-Cola in American Idol
Apple in Twilight
FedEx in Cast Away
What product placements have you noticed in movies and television shows?
