does product placement in movies annoy you?

[Pacemaker]

I actually like them if it's the way people actually talk. In other words most people don't say "Grab me a soda" they say "Grab me a Coke/Pepsi/Sprite/whatever". People don't say "I'd like some gelatin." Instead they say "I'd like some Jell-O"

However, if it is really shoved in your face then I don't like it.

 

[So]

The worst was the last bond movie. Everything was sony. It was kinda insulting.

 

[mugs]

Really doesn't bother me at all. I don't get stuck on insignificant things like that.

 

[StevenYoo]

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: Minerva
*cough* Wayne's World *cough*

Damn I came into this thread just to post that

Best scene in the movie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLeXUC8pSdk

 

[Alone]

So they shouldn't use real-life products just because it's a movie?

I remember seeing the DaVinci Code and noticing the smart car, which I assumed must have been placed. Then I re-read the book and noticed it's actually in there. :laugh:

 

[NiteWulf]

As long as it's natural in the movie I don't care, but I'm very skeptical of the new Transformers movie. How can Bumblebee be anything but a Bug?

 

[foghorn67]

Most of the time it does not annoy me. I hate video games with generic names, I will hate movies with madeup crap.

 

[Syrch]

yes!

 

[Strk]

I'm with others in that it depends how it's handled. The blatant ipod plugs in Blade Trinity, come to mind.

 

[Theb]

Ugh Applebees in Talladega Nights, it wasn't funny.

 

[armstrda]

The Island was bad because of this, good thing Scarlet was in it, otherwise I would have walked out

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Theb
Ugh Applebees in Talladega Nights, it wasn't funny.

I don't remember that one, but the Chili's plugs in The Office are an instance of positive product placement. It actually adds to the show.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: StevenYoo

Originally posted by: jman19

Originally posted by: Minerva
*cough* Wayne's World *cough*

Damn I came into this thread just to post that

Best scene in the movie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLeXUC8pSdk

ROFL! Product placement only bothers me if it detracts from the show, not necessarily that it's obvious but that the writers didn't do a good job of integrating it with the show.

Did anyone else like "The Wizard"? It's always made fun of for being a product-movie about the PowerGlove, but I remember liking it and watching it over and over

 

[Mellman]

no, i'd much prefer product placements in movies than tv commercials...

what was that, truman show? i thought that was great!

Hitch was a good example of it, however...what do I care? would you rather them ask for "antihistamine" or "Diphenhydramine Hydrochloride" ? No...when I have a reaction like that, I ask for benadryl, when i ask for a martini i ask for a grey goose martini.

 

[Mrfrog840]

its a waste of money. Having your ad in a movie is not going to convince me to buy your product, I dont care what it is.

 

[Lenine]

They wouldn't do it if it didn't work lol. They're smarter than you, don't worry. These things are usually backed up with some statistics before they spend millions or hundreds of millions of dollars on advertising.

 

[imported_Imp]

Somewhat, but I like it A LOT more than what most non-advertising movies do.

Example: what in the eff is Zoke, Zepsi and ZNN. Like we don't know what you're suggesting. Just get the damn license/permission! At least having the real trademark makes the movie more 'immersive'. Trying to mimmick it makes the thing look cheap. On that note, I'm so glad '24' has Fox news unlike other crap with ZNN...

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Mrfrog840
its a waste of money. Having your ad in a movie is not going to convince me to buy your product, I dont care what it is.

In addition to Lenine's astute observation... they often don't even pay for the product placement, they just provide free products. i.e. In Jackass, Miller just kept them stocked with High Life. Of course it costs them money to provide the product, but the cost is really a lot less than people think. They're not paying millions of dollars for product placement.

Also, unlike a TV commercial a product placement in a movie never dies. Anyone can tell you what candy E.T. ate all the way back in 1982. Every time I watch a James Bond movie, I see an ad for a car - even after 40 years. For some strange reason I even remember that in Twister the protagonists were driving a Dodge pickup and the antagonists were driving Chevy SUVs.

And the ads are more effective than you think. Most TV ads these days don't try to convince you to buy a product like they did back in the early days of TV. Hell, most of the ads don't have anything to do with the product. The ads are there to remind you that the product exists and build brand recognition. It works. Product placement works.