I am the kind of person (a filmmaker myself) who looks for things like product placements in the shows and television that I watch. Labels and logos stick out to me like sore thumbs. This may come from policing shots from films and videos I have worked on to try to ensure that these things don't appear as we don't have the rights to use them. In either case I try to notice them, and usually do. Some product placements seamlessly make their way into shots. Sometimes people draw WAY too much attention to them. Talking about them, filming just the product for several seconds, or they do what one of my favorite TV shows, Fringe, did in the conclusion of season 4. Watch below.
(Sorry for the audio quality, this is the only clip of this I could find) Sprint is one of the sponsors for the show and their logo is frequently seen on the characters' phones, but generally in a much more tasteful manner. I was watching this particular episode with some friends and we all knew exactly what was happening and some people even said that they felt "violated" because of the ad. It definitely cheapened the show for all of us and put a negative taste in our mouths for Sprint with one friend even saying that it was just another reason not to like them as a company.
It is important for people who are using product placement to try to insert the logos or products in as seamless of a way as possible. If people can tell that they are being marketed to, they tend to dislike it, as my friends and I did. There are other times in watching shows when someone naturally sits down to talk with a friend and happens to be drinking out of a Pepsi/Coke can, or is getting an important phone call and the camera "looks to see who is calling" and the logo is there, but not in an obvious, let's zoom in on it sort of way. Product placement, in my opinion, is done best when you don't actively notice it, it is just something that subconsciously makes a mark.
Side note, another pet peeve of mine in movies and films is when they are drinking coffee or other beverages in to go type cups and you can tell from the way the actors are handling the cup that the cup is empty. If they held a full cup of coffee the way that they are and used those hand motions they would be covered in super hot coffee. They should at least put water in the cups! OK, rant over, sorry for that.
Its so funny now that I notice product placements in some of my favorite TV shows that I never realized before. I think I will start looking for product placements in movies (whenever I get the time to do so!) =)
ReplyDeleteCareful, it can start to really annoy you and detract from the show! I have this problem. But it is interesting to start to see these things. Amazing what simple awareness can do to how you see things.
DeleteI agree Alisha! I always notice product placements too. I've been catching up on missed episodes of Dexter and I'm pretty sure all of the characters' sunglasses are Ray Bans. And I completely agree on the coffee thing; I don't know if you've ever watched the show Scrubs, but they are always waving their arms around with an obviously empty cup.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I miss you Kaci!! Hope that all is well with you!
DeleteBut yes, this is annoying at times. It is so funny to watch a show and realize things like them all wearing the same sunglasses or driving the same cars. You would never see this in real life and noticing it in shows can take away from the "reality" they are trying to create for you.
Alisha -
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more, a lot of the movies and tv shows that I watch I tend to find myself distracted by product placement. Just like Kaci said, when I recognize things like Ray Ban sunglasses on numerous characters in one show I wonder if people choose to wear that brand because they see it on their favorite actors and actresses. Marketing is a world of it's own, full of attention to detail.
I have wondered at the effectiveness also, and I think that it is a really successful technique. It is true that a lot of people do try to emulate the people that they see on TV or in the movies and just the fact that the actor or character that they love uses a product compels people to use that same product as well.
DeleteI agree that the more obvious the product placement, the more disconnected I feel from the show. I end up looking away because of how obvious it is. The whole frame does not need to be of a phone (which I feel is the most common product placement misused.)
ReplyDeleteSo true!! I have gotten to the point where it makes me want to NOT support that brand, but that is an entirely different topic. It is effective for some people but it may be counter productive once people become aware of what you are doing.
DeleteGreat conversation on this post! BTW, the empty cup phenomenon bugs me too!
ReplyDelete