Today's question is brought to you by the Happy Bunny Munitions Company. Kill happy!What is the most obnoxious product placement you recall?
Panelist: Tennessee Jed
It's TV but the blatant Government Motors on Hawaii Five-O really pisses me off. Disgusting act of thievery by B.O. & union cronies.
Panelist: ScottDS
I remember watching Michael Bay's The Island where the product placement really jumped out at me. If I recall correctly, Scarlett Johansson's character in the film is a clone of a model and we actually see a real perfume ad starring her in the film. Or, to quote another website: "The Island took a real Calvin Klein commercial starring Scarlett Johansson and made the commercial a major part of a fictional film in which Scarlett Johansson plays an actress who isn’t Scarlett Johansson but stars in the same CK commercial."
Panelist: AndrewPrice
Wayne's World when he holds up the bag of Doritos! Talk about obvious! Oh... wait, they did that intentionally? Never mind. How about Mac and Me? Was that a movie or an ad for Coke and McDonalds? I'm still not sure.
Panelist: BevfromNYC
Unlike many of you, product placements do not bother me. From a producer’s standpoint, they just mean money in the bank.
Panelist: T-Rav
Okay, I really like Fringe and everything, and it's a struggling show so maybe this is understandable, but it has to have some of the most obvious placement I've ever seen. A couple times this season, the actors have practically advertised in their dialogue a new car or phone or something. Especially Sprint phones, which get shown off repeatedly for some reason. If it saves the show, fine; but I still find it annoying.
Comments? Thoughts?
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) when Rene Russo drank down a Pepsi ONE without pause. It was so obvious because she was holding it to show ONE vertically. It bugs me every time I watched the movie.
ReplyDeleteSeriously!? No one else picked Taco Bell and Demolition Man? But aside from the obnoxious ones, I actually make a game of spotting product placements in films.
ReplyDeleteWhat have you got against Happy Bunny?
ReplyDeleteMost obnoxious product placement? "Josie and the Pussycats" (2001). The movie was filled with wall to wall to wall product ads in an effort, apparently, to satirize product placement ads. Unfortunately, they used real products which made it not all that satirical.
Second place: Any movie that acts as a commercial for/against a political candidate/POV. Arron Sorkin retires the trophy.
Minority Report. After Tom Cruise escapes with Samantha Morton from the recall memory bank, they end up in a mall and he goes into a Gap store to get her some civilian clothes.
ReplyDelete@tryanmax -- Don't forget Pizza Hut for the Demolition Man foreign markets. Warner Bros. in-joke aside, and with no offense to international film, TV and stage star Nick Searcy, FedEx in Cast Away.
ReplyDeleteSince you were reviewing Back to the Future earlier in the week, Pepsi was particularly obnoxious to me in that one.
ReplyDeleteTN Jed, I think Obama bailing out GM and Chrysler is the best thing that ever happened to Ford.
The thing in The Island didn't bother me because I wasn't aware of the ad in the first place...besides she's hot what are you griping about?
It wasn't too blatant, but the Spider-Man films were definitely advertising Dr. Pepper at several points. For example, in the first movie Peter Parker is practicing his web-slinging, and ends by snagging a can of DP and pulling it in and drinking it. Pretty obvious--but then, I really like Dr. Pepper so it doesn't bother me that much.
ReplyDeletethe Ewoks. their sole reason for existence was to sell product.
ReplyDeletesecond place to Reese's Pieces in E.T. you come all this way and don't eat M&Ms? How can I respect that?
EricP, I think that the FedEx placement in Castaway is win. Sure, they could've gone with a fictitious courier, but because it was so central to the plot, it didn't seem imposing.
ReplyDeleteFloyd, Spielberg gets ragged on a lot for "inventing" product placement with the use of Reese's pieces in E.T., but I think it was done tastefully. Hershey's deserve some props, too. Nobody knew whether audiences would even notice.
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to blame M&M/Mars for denying the cuddly alien their candy. The script originally called for M&M's, but they didn't want their candy associated with what they saw as a monstrous creature. Bigots! ;-)
Also, did you ever notice the Coor's placement? No one ever talks about that, and it's actually used to get a kid drunk!
I have never seen The Island, actually. I can't even remember it being on TV at any point. As a Michael Bay film, it's probably nothing I'll regret missing.
ReplyDeletetryanmax, I thought about Demolition Man, but it ultimately didn't bother me because it wasn't selling their product -- it was more like a joke. I thought that was really well done!
ReplyDeleteJoel, Good call! I think how things are held is important. One thing I've noticed which drives me nuts is when people hold a box or can by the edges so you can see the label. That's so fricken blatant to me!
ReplyDeleteSeinfeld gets the award for best product placements.
ReplyDeleteK, I love Happy Bunny. They're the greatest munitions company in the world! ;)
ReplyDeleteGood call on the political stuff. I'm amazed how often a film will almost stop dead just to present what has to be considered an advertisement for a particular candidate!
Yeah, Josie and the Pussy Cats was really bad.
Soonertroll, The one things I did like about that scene was the glimpse of how obnoxious advertising will get in the future with each of the screens calling people by name and trying to sell to them.
ReplyDeleteI'm going the other way. One of the few I really like was ET. That one really worked.
ReplyDeleteEric, A lot of people mention Cast Away when they talk about obnoxious product placements. The whole movie was like an giant FedEx ad.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav -
ReplyDeleteIn the case of Fringe, I have to agree: if it saves the show, then it's worth it (it's back for one last season), but man, is it obvious! I like how they linger on a shot of a car steering wheel or GPS system for just one extra second to show off the logo.
Chuck had to do the same thing to avoid an early cancellation. In their case, it was Subway. I didn't particularly mind it but in seemingly every other episode, someone would come in and say, "You know what I just had? The new six-inch XYZ from Subway."
On ET, I thought the reason they used Reese's Pieces is because M&M didn't want their product in a movie. No real product placement.
ReplyDeleteOutlaw, "Hot" does cure a lot, doesn't it! ;)
ReplyDeleteI can't say for sure that the Pepsi stuff in BTTF bothered me per se, but it definitely felt like a product placement. So that's not a good thing.
I agree about Ford. I know a lot of people who started buying Fords instead of GM for that very reason.
tryanmax, et al -
ReplyDeleteI never minded the stuff in Demolition Man. I can excuse product placement if it's done as a joke.
In film school, we watched a documentary on the subject and I swear they interviewed someone who claimed that, more often than not, good guys used Macs while bad guys used PCs. But I'm a Mac guy so this doesn't bother me either. :-)
T-Rav, I wonder if that makes a difference? If you like a product then it doesn't bother you? I'm big on Coke and I never have a problem with their product being in films. But some smaller brand used in the same way often makes me think "product placement!" Interesting.
ReplyDeleteOutlaw -
ReplyDeleteYes, she's hot and that aspect of it certainly didn't bother me :-)...
... but if it had just been the Scarlett ad, that would be one thing... but it was everything! Even critics called this movie out on its product placement and they usually don't care about such things. It takes a lot even for me to notice and I definitely noticed.
Scott, Like in Wayne's World -- my joke in the answer. It's an obvious product placement, but it was done in such a funny way as a joke that it never bothered me in the least. In fact, it wouldn't have worked if they'd used a fake brand.
ReplyDeleteOutlaw and Andrew -
ReplyDeleteThe only reason they drink Pepsi in the BTTF films is because Coke hadn't changed their logo. They wanted to show the differences between 1955 and 1985 and the Pepsi logo had changed, whereas Coke bottles really hadn't!
Floyd, Isn't that the truth! When I was kid, I collected all the Star Wars action figures. Then when Jedi came out, suddenly there were hundreds of them instead of tens of them -- and I began to realize that half the creatures were put into that film just to sell toys. That was a disappointing moment in my youth. :(
ReplyDeleteAndrew, Scott, even as a joke, the idea Taco Bell as a four-star restaurant is obnoxious. :)
ReplyDeletetryanmax, It was definitely a win, but it was also obnoxious because it was so in your face. They really needed to reduce the number of things covered in the logo throughout the film.
ReplyDeletetryanmax, Sure Taco Bell as a four-star restaurant is obnoxious, but they obviously weren't eating anything Taco Bell makes. I took it as just another goofy thing to laugh at rather than a product placement. If they had been eating burritos, then I would have thought it was over the top.
ReplyDeleteFloyd, P.S. LOL! Gotta agree about the M&Ms... how smart can these aliens be? I guess the fact he got lost a few feet from his ship tells us that though, doesn't it?
ReplyDeletetryanmax, My favorite Coors placement was in Poltergeist where the guy is riding home on a bike holding a six pack (probably DUI or else he would be driving) and he loses the beer all over the road!
ReplyDeleteIn an odd sort of way, I'm glad Spielberg reinvented the product placement because I didn't like the use of generic product in the 1970s after companies started whining about their products being used.
Coca-Cola at the Clarence Thomas hearing when Anita Hill said something about getting pubic hair on her drink - a like from The Exorcist I believe.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, It's typical Michael Bay -- lots of glitz, some nice shots, nothing to remember.
ReplyDeleteOne I just remembered is in the newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie. We love those movies so it's not a deal breaker, but was annoying. The family is at the pool and the Dad (played by Steve Zahn), whips out his book and you can very clearly see it is Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States.
ReplyDeleteIt appeared two or three times. Not officially product placement, but someone was clearly proud they read a book.
DUQ, I don't know that I have a favorite.
ReplyDeleteScott, I never watched Chuck, but that sounds truly obnoxious.
ReplyDeleteJoel, you're partly right about the E.T./M&M's thing, but Spielberg did work out a cross-promo with Hershey's which saved the Reese's Pieces line.
ReplyDeleteI should probably clarify that Spielberg did not "invent" product placement, not by a long-shot. And the reason no one knew if audiences would respond is because the placement was rather subtle and Reese's Pieces had lost virtually all name recognition up to that point.
Scott, Macs are considered hip, so it wouldn't surprise me if the heroes always used Macs.
ReplyDeletetryanmax, If you look at 1950s television, most of it is product placement -- it's just not well done. But somewhere in the 1970s films stopped using products because companies began to object to the use of their products in films. Then they realized this was a good form of advertising and so now they pay millions for something they used to get for free! LOL!
ReplyDeleteDUQ, LOL! Yeah, that was a bad product placement.
ReplyDeleteAndrew -
ReplyDeleteThey can't be that hip. After all, I have one. :-) All kidding aside, I'd rather see the Mac logo than a sticker that's been carefully placed to cover it up, which, IMHO, attracts even more attention.
As for Chuck, I think you'd like the show. The Subway stuff was only in the last season or so and, like I said earlier, it probably helped save the show. And the show is so light and frivolous anyway, I could excuse it. Fringe, on the other hand, is a serious and sometimes dark show.
T-Rav, you can't bring up Michael Bay without mentioning the blatant GM placement in the Transformers franchise. This goes so far as to make sure the Decepticon cars are other brands (with all nameplates, etc. stripped, of course). The most prominent is a chase between Bumblebee (Camaro) and a Decepticon police cruiser with a Ford Mustang body.
ReplyDeleteScott, I just don't have enough time for more television!!
ReplyDeleteI agree about them hiding logos. That really calls attention to them because your mind works to fill in what is missing.
tryanmax, Transformers is another one which felt like a GM commercial.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, it's now gotten to a point that some companies won't even accept the free promotion. Louis Vuitton is suing Warner Bros. over The Hangover because Zach Galifianakis' character claims his bag is a "LouiS Vuitton" in one scene.
ReplyDeleteTheir complaint is for trademark dilution, false designation of origin, and unfair competition. All this in spite of the fact that the film makes it clear that Zach's bag is a fake. And why would you want your product associated with his character, anyway?
tryanmax, Twisted isn't it? I could see if they were slandering the product, but they clearly aren't.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, this whole copyright protection stuff has gone off the deep end. I particularly find it amazing when they think they filmmakers should scrub billboards and signs on buses or on t-shirts. Hello, you're the asshole who put it out there for all to see and you can't complain when it shows up on film.
Everybody who mentioned Macs,
ReplyDeleteApple is very aggressive in the product placement arena. And it is common for placed companies to insist that only the heroes use their product. (I think this is incredibly short-sighted, but whatever.) Macs are very prominently branded to begin with, and most PCs are easily "genericized," so it all makes good sense.
However, there is another angle to this. For a brief time now passed, Apple produced a monitor with a refresh rate that was superior for film. This combined with their early GUI made them generally more film-friendly. Now everybody has a GUI and adjustable frame rates, so technical considerations can be put entirely aside.
tryanmax, Maybe the villain market is too small, which is why they only want heroes to use their products?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of villains, I don't know if the Stay-Puft Marshmallow guy was a real product or not, but that was a heck of a product placement if it is!
Andrew -
ReplyDeleteStay-Puft Marshmallows are definitely fictional - another genius creation by Dan Aykroyd.
However, they have since become a real product that you can buy!
Scott, I figured they were, but I wasn't sure. They could have been a regional brand?
ReplyDeleteIn any event, that would have been a heck of a product placement because I think everyone in the country knows that brand name now!
Subway's mentioned without including Happy Gilmore? Talladega Nights using Applebee's, too.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the restaurant, in the TV world, as much as I love Friday Night Lights, working Applebee's into as many shows as possible bordered on crass. Eh, anything to keep the show on life-support worked for me. More scenes when Tyra waitressed there also a plus.
Speaking of restaurants, you know what product placements really worked in the 1970s and 1980s? Pizza Hut. In films like The Bad News Bears and Close Encounters, Pizza Hut became the place you took your kids. Brilliantly done.
ReplyDeleteAndrew -
ReplyDeleteWhat's interesting is that, growing up, my family never did Pizza Hut. Every movie seemed to feature either Pizza Hut or Domino's but, in the real world, some people just order pizza from the local hole in the wall and not a major franchise.
Oh, and I can't believe I didn't mention this earlier: Mac and Me was actually financed by Coca-Cola and McDonalds! How else could you explain a scene like this.
(Click at your own risk!)
Scott, When I grew up, I don't think Dominoes existed yet, so it was all Pizza Hut. And it wasn't home delivery either normally. Normally, we went to the restaurant to eat. Strange times indeed! LOL!
ReplyDeleteIt's probably no mystery why I grew up on Godfather's Pizza. Unfortunately, their mention in The Goonies is completely overshadowed by the Baby Ruth placement.
ReplyDeleteMan, I LOVED Godfather's Pizza. But then they vanished on us in the mid-1980s and they never came back. I saw there was one in Missouri when I drove past, but I never stopped to see if they still make them the same.
ReplyDeleteLittle Caesars was great until they vanished. They're back now, but their pizza is horrid and completely different than it used to be.
Say, how did we get this deep into the conversation without mention of Toy Story? You've got Slinky, Mr. Potato Head, Barbie, Etch-a-Sketch... Of course, all of these fit, so I guess they weren't obnoxious. Still, almost all of the fictional toys soon became real. There's probably something obnoxious about that.
ReplyDeleteYou know what's funny? I never viewed those as product placements, even though they clearly are. I guess it's because they didn't really smack you in the face with the brand name, just the product.
ReplyDelete"The only reason they drink Pepsi in the BTTF films is because Coke hadn't changed their logo. They wanted to show the differences between 1955 and 1985 and the Pepsi logo had changed, whereas Coke bottles really hadn't!"
ReplyDeleteThat and Pepsi offer them a shit ton of money. :-)
Outlaw, I'm sure money had nothing to do with it! LOL!
ReplyDeleteScott, I saw that with Chuck but it always struck me differently. For one thing, the show was kinda semi-comedic, so it wasn't quite as incongruous. Also, if I remember right, the show's producers were up front about including Subway in their public campaign to stay on the air. If you're being fully honest and up-front about the product placement, I think it comes across as at least somewhat excusable.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I second Scott. You need to watch Chuck. It's very pro-national defense, the characters are great, and it didn't drag on too long. And as I just got through saying, the product placement and all really isn't obnoxious, due to the unique circumstances.
ReplyDeletetryanmax, I have made it this far in life without seeing any of the Transformers movies, and I have no interest in changing that. I heard the product placement was pretty bad, though (along with everything else).
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, I need more time in my life before I can start watching more television shows.
ReplyDeleteI would skip the Transformers movies, if I were you. That's a smart decision. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't say I recall one that ruined a film, but I do recall many that I didn't like. I think I just tend to ignore them.
ReplyDeleteOutlaw -
ReplyDelete"The only reason they drink Pepsi in the BTTF films is because Coke hadn't changed their logo. They wanted to show the differences between 1955 and 1985 and the Pepsi logo had changed, whereas Coke bottles really hadn't!"
That and Pepsi offer them a shit ton of money. :-)
Yes... that, too. :-)
In fact, there are no doubt plenty of other perks that come with good product placement deals.
According the DVD commentary, in the second film when Lorraine hydrates a Pizza Hut pizza in 2015, the filmmakers had Pizza Hut staff on set, no doubt a part of whatever deal the studio made with them. They had ovens and all their usual equipment and made pizzas for the entire crew that day. I envy the Pizza Hut employee who got to live the Hollywood life for a day. :-)
Boy, am I late to the party. I have to go with tryanmax in that the product placements don't bother me so long as they don't interfere with the plot. And I actually thought that it was clever use of product in Demolition Man. And it actually enhanced the plot.
ReplyDeleteWho says Taco Bell ain't a four star restaurant?
ReplyDeleteProduct placement is a lot more palatable if it's done naturally and they ain't obnoxious about it.
That being said, it doesn't bother me too much if the film I'm watching is good.
If the film isn't good it gives me something else to do, I suppose.
Andrew, irt The Island, I thought it was a pretty deep film, actually. I mean, some of the action scenes were definitively Michael Bay, but the plot was good and the film raises a lot of serious ethical and moral questions.
Is it okay to clone yourself for body parts?
The film shows why that's a bad idea, although I'm sure many folks already know that, however I can see someone like Obama approving the procedure.
Does a clone have a soul?
Is a clone an actual human being?
If yes, why?
The film also shows the slippery slope of cloning and the devaluation of life.
IMHO.
I would love getting to eat Pizza Hut on the set of a movie. I would not love, I think, a rehydrated pizza, from whatever brand.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, dehydrated water is pretty good. After you add water, of course. :^)
ReplyDeleteBen, Dehydrated water is ok, but it has that orangey flavor. ;)
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, I agree, a dehydrated pizza doesn't sound very pleasant, does it?
ReplyDeleteellen, I don't think a product placement has ever ruined a film for me, but they have at times injured a film or two.
ReplyDeleteScott, You should be envying the people working on set, not the unfortunate pizza people who have to work on a field trip!
ReplyDeleteLawhawk, I thought it was a clever use as well
ReplyDeleteBen, I thought The Island had a deep concept, but didn't really dig very deeply into that. Maybe I'm wrong though? I haven't seen it in a long time. I'll check it out again. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that product placement is ok when it's done naturally. I think that's the key.
Andrew, I agree, the film left that to the audience.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's just me, but I began thinking about it as soon as I realized they were clones and considered non-human property, without any rights.
I don't think the film had to address the issues any more than it did, because then it would've been in danger of preaching.
Although I concede there are probably good ways the film could've delved into those question more holistically.
The Island is the deepest Michael Bay film I have ever seen. In fact, I was surprised that it was a Bay film. He must've given the director a lot of leeway, I reckon.
Ben, I don't have a very strong memory of that film, I just remember it being OK and not really leaving me with much of an impression. I'll check it out again.
ReplyDeleteRoger that. I liked the film more after seeing it a second time. One of those films that grew on me. Well, not literally, as far as I know.
ReplyDeleteI only saw it the one time, so I'll give it another shot. I would have to have written off a good movie. Thanks Ben! :)
ReplyDelete@ Jed. Funny you should mention tv's new Hawaii Five O, did you catch the actual two minute written commercial for Subway in last season? The heavy set guy actually talked about Subway sandwiches and losing weignt and nutritional value and even mentioned Jared for two full minutes of dialogue in a 46 minute script. Made my teeth hurt!
ReplyDeletePikeBishop, Wow! And people wonder why I don't watch much network television anymore!
ReplyDeleteGlad I can help...well, hopefully help. Like I said, it could just be me and a film really isn't that good, but I don't get that vibe from the film. :^)
ReplyDeleteWe'll see Ben. I know I didn't hate it, like I have with so many other Bay films. It just didn't make an impression on me. And like I said, that was a long time ago, so it's worth a second take. :)
ReplyDeleteBTW, Andrew, I mentioned this yesterday but I think you missed it:
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the trailer for Dexter season 7 yet? Phenominal! They really cranked it up to eleven if the trailer is any indication, and I think it is!
One I just remembered is in the newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie. We love those movies so it's not a deal breaker, but was annoying. The family is at the pool and the Dad (played by Steve Zahn), whips out his book and you can very clearly see it is Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States.
ReplyDeleteIt appeared two or three times. Not officially product placement, but someone was clearly proud they read a book.
Also, Seinfeld was the king of the product placement.
Ben, I'm sorry, I've been distracted for the last couple weeks. Yes, I did see the trailer and it looks like a heck of a season coming up! Of course, the ending to the last season was a heck of a shocker too!
ReplyDeleteNo need to apologize. I get distracted all the time. Just as my wife (don't really ask her).
ReplyDeleteBesides, it was at the bottom of a comment I made.
Hope all will be well, Andrew.
Floyd, That sounds like a political statement.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ben! All is well, just very busy.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear! Then I hope it gets less busy for soon. Tell your boss we need you over here, and to write another book...after you meet your family obligations, and do your other hobbies, LOL!
ReplyDeleteBen, A little time off would be a good thing!
ReplyDeleteI don't recommend dehydrated water. Because technically, that's hydrogen gas and oxygen gas, neither which are very fun around open flames.
ReplyDeleteT-Rav, True, but oxygen is pretty good stuff. I highly recommend it!
ReplyDeleteHelium is pretty fun too. Good safety tip by T-Rav which we will now promptly ignore.
ReplyDeleteWhere's that nitrous oxide?
Where would the balloon industry and professional clowning be without helium?
ReplyDeleteI'm not against clowns, if they can make me laugh, but mimes should be outlawed posthaste!
ReplyDeleteI guess I'm not conservative when it comes to mimes. And polka. And killer clowns from outer space.
I've got no love for mimes either... or polka.
ReplyDeleteI'm indifferent on killer clowns from outer space or anywhere else. ;)
Not really a product placement but I observed something about "24." People have already observed how the good guys drove GMCs and the bad guys drove Fords (or vice versa) but did you ever notice anytime there is a cable news report on the show, if its postitive news the station is Fox News, if its a negative report its CNB (or whatever the 24 universe's version of CNN is).
ReplyDeletePikeBishop, I didn't really watch "24" but that's an interesting catch!
ReplyDeleteProduct placements really don't bother me. Before I started reading the responses, I already had thought of Taco Bell, the victor of the Franchise Wars in Demolition Man. I thought that was hilarious.
ReplyDeleteOne I don't think was mentioned: actual Jurassic Park merchandise shown in the (never-opened) gift shop in the first Jurassic Park, about midway through the movie.
Another sort-of product placement: Towards the end of Spaceballs, Dark Helmet plays with Dark Helmet, Lone Star, Barf and Dot Matrix action figures, which naturally were a rip on the insanely popular Kenner Star Wars action figures. Alas, Spaceballs figures were never mass produced.
http://theswca.com/index.php?action=disp_item&item_id=77718
I wonder what Fudruckers had to say about being featured in the opening of Idiocracy.
ReplyDeleteDrink Brawndo! Electrolytes it's what plants crave!
I will go wioth the remake of Total Recall. The world is destroyed by chemical war and only Britain and Austrailia are habitable. Britian is now the United Federation of Britain and Australia is The Colony.
ReplyDeleteDespite this Barack Obama's picturee is on the money.....
Big Mo, I remember that, with the toys in the gift shop. LOL! You knew those very same toys would be for sale right across the street.
ReplyDeleteI thought the Taco Bell thing was pretty hilarious too.
Outlaw, That's is a really good question. Presumably, they got everyone's permission to use their symbols and names in the film, but that's hardly a way I would want my product remembered? Maybe they didn't read the script before they signed on?
ReplyDeleteIndi, I have no what you are talking about.
ReplyDeleteWow, the very first comment has my all-time pet peeve product placement. Alliteration aside, the Pepsi One from "Thomas Crown" was pretty obnoxious. A supposedly refined Europhile has been shown to drink a green, chunky "health" concoction that looks vile as balls. Suddenly, for no particular reason, she goes to a vending machine and slams a can of sodapop. I mean, her character IS from Ohio, and I half expected her to let fly with a rafter-shaking belch like Booger in the "Nerds" franchise, but still.
ReplyDeleteHave you noticed that in some TV versions, the can has no logo on it at all? Also, in National Treasure, the Urban Outfitters sign has been removed. I guess they're not willing to pay up to the studios after the DVDs have gone out.
Andrew, in the new Total Recall Obama's face is on some of the money they use.
ReplyDeleteOutlaw, You're kidding?! That's reason enough not to see the film. How obnoxious!
ReplyDeleteDave, That would have been pretty funny if she's let out a Booger-like belch!
ReplyDeleteI agree with BevfromNYC, it doesn't bother me at all. If I do see it I ignore it and quite often I am oblivious to it most of the time.
ReplyDeleteAnd if I do notice it, it has never made me purchase anything.
I also agree that Demolition Man was more of a piss take on product placement than anything.
Scott.
Scott, By and large, I don't think people notice it or care. But sometimes it's really obnoxious. I think we said somewhere up above that it only becomes a problem when it's done poorly.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Demolition Man, none of that was a serious product placement.
Better late than never - maybe...
ReplyDeleteI love Demolition Man - so it gets a pass.
I also really like the new H5-0 - and Chevys - but the car thing they have going in the show annoys even me!
rlaWTX, Always better late than never! :)
ReplyDelete