Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Product Placement On Movies
Product Placement On Movies
Product Placement On Movies
ABSTRACT
It has been established by a plethora of studies that movies are powerful
vehicles in shaping and reshaping culture across the globe. Fortunately or
unfortunately, the marketers around the world are all aware of such power attributed
to movies. This is exactly one of the reasons marketers and advertisers are now
exerting much effort to place their clients products on movies in order to find a
solution to the problem posed by the digital video recording that allows viewers to
zap more than they ever do.
Page numbers
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
LITERATURE REVIEW
1
3
THE METHODOLOGY 26
The Online Focus Groups 26
27
CONCLUSION
49
RECOMMENDATIONS 51
REFERENCES
APPENDICES
Questionnaire
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1:
Advantages of Product Placement 4
Table 2:
Disadvantages of Product Placement 9
Table 3:
Examples of Branded Products Featured
in Famous Films during the 90s and the 80s 12
Table 4:
Featured Brands on Movies Released in 2008 13 15
LIST OF FIGURES
27
28
28
Theater
28
VCD
29
DVD
30
31
32
34, 35, 36
36, 39, 40
41, 43
INTRODUCTION
The history of television and films is a witness to the fast changes and development
that happened to an advertising strategy which at first, was just another advertising technique
but later became controversial. Product placement is nothing new (Belch & Belch 413). In
essence, product placement or brand placement is a paid exposure of products on television
shows, films or video games (McPherson) which aim to influence audience members without
necessarily identifying the sponsors (qtd. in Balasubramanian, Karrh & Patwardhan) for the
purpose of increasing brand awareness and demand on the product (McPherson). Aside from
awareness and increase in demand, product placement also aims to create a favorable atmosphere
or positive associations toward the placed brand, resulting in a positive shift in brand attitude
(Cowley & Barron).
Studying product placement and its huge ability to create brand awareness is almost
no longer optional but a must for marketers who wish to make a brand be known to a large
number of audience coming from around the globe. For example, the manufacturers of BMW
and Omega are very much aware that product placement can do more than what the traditional
methods of advertising do. Product placement can actually build up a particular brand (StewartAllen).
For the giants in the film industry, particularly the Hollywood, and for the product
owners who save much through product placement, nothing is actually wrong with the practice.
However, for some groups which claim concern for the youth, the children and for all who are
LITERATURE REVIEW
Product Placement: What Started it All
& Belchs Advertising and Promotion book that by the second quarter of 2005, the ten most
frequently exposed brands on TV did their appearance 6,077 times, not to mention that the top
ten shows contained 11,579 placements (433). Indeed, placements have become too obvious
that it is quite impossible not to notice them.
Although it is already widely practiced, according to Ellen Neuborn, product placement remains
uncharted territory because unlike other forms of advertising, product placement does not
involve standard rate cards. This implies that the practice itself is open either to criticism or to
standardization.
Figure 1
ADVANTAGES OF
PLACEMENT
First of all, with
product can reach a
6. Recall
Promotion:
Perspective.
2007.
7. Bypassing regulation
8. Acceptance
9. Targeting
PRODUCT
product placement, the
large number of people
over a long period of time. An average film which is estimated to have a life span of three and a
half years would actually yield 75 million exposures (Belch & Belch 434). This exposure is
strengthened by the fact that moviegoers are captive audience members (qtd. in De Lorme &
Raid). As such, they went to the movie house with the anticipation that they are expected to
Table 2
6. Competition
DISADVANTAGES OF USING
PRODUCT
7. Negative placements
8. Clutter
PLACEMENT
Hudson, Hudson & Pelosa divided placement into two general types:
(291). Implicit placement is generally not intrusive. For example, in the movie Spider-man,
Spider-man was seen fighting with the antagonist on top of a Carlsberg truck. It subtly promotes
the brand Carlsberg but it doesnt have anything to do with the story in the movie. This is not a
new formula in a superhero-starred movie. In the 1980s, the movie Superman II showed the
superhero himself and the antagonist in a fight scene taking place in the Marlboro truck.
Explicit placement, on the other hand, allows marriage between the script and the brand.
Hudson, Hudson & Pelosa gave the movie I Am Sam as an example of movie containing explicit
placement (291). In the movie, the main actor works at Starbucks. In this case, the brand of
coffee shop does not just serve as backdrop but as a major part of the story where some
important scenes developed (The Persuader).
PRODUCTS/BRANDS
Source
Huggies
Cuervo Gold
Exxon
Larks Cigarette
Taco Bell
V-8 Juice
Pepsi
Dominos Pizza, Pepsi
American Marketing
Association (AMA)
Media Education
Foundation (MEF)
MEF
MEF
MEF
MEF
MEF
MEF
MEF
MEF
Miller , Coca-Cola
Dunkin Donuts
Pepsi
Pepsi
MEF
MEF
MEF
MEF
Marlboro
Animals Cracker
FedEx
Coca-Cola
Subway
Starbucks, AOL, NY Times
MEF
MEF
MEF
MEF
MEF
MEF; AMA
Pampers
Figure 3
WALL-E
Get Smart
Kung Fu Panda
Sex and the City
FEATURED BRANDS
Bang & Olufsen, Belstaff, Bentley, Dodge, Ford, Harris Bank,
Lamborghini, Magnum Products, Mercedes, MV Agusta, Nokia,
Powerball, Scottrade, Volkswagen Beetle
Ford, Iams, Regal Entertainment Group, Tecate
BMW, Cadillac, Capitol Records, Chevrolet, Christian Dior,
Coca-Cola, Dasani, Datascope, Dodge, Dunkin' Donuts,
Everest, FedEx, Fitovers, Ford, Greenpeace, Headline News,
Jiffy Pop, Kenworth, Korean Air, Macalester College,
McDonald's, Mercedes, Motorola, Nike, Polar Air Cargo, RayBan, Sony, Sony VAIO, Spalding, Sprite, State Farm, Swatch,
Wells Fargo, Wish-Bone, YouTube, Zagnut
Apple, NASA, Playmate, Rubik's Cube, Zippo
Apple, BMW, Cadillac, Chanel, Dell, Disney, Ernst & Young,
Ferrari, Ford, Freightliner, GMC Yukon, Land Rover, LG,
Lincoln, L'Oreal, Lumber Liquidators, Magnum (gun),
Mercedes, Nike, Post-It Notes, Rimowa, Sierra Mist, SIG
Sauer, Sky Mall, Subway, Sunbeam (car), Verizon, Vespa,
Victorinox Swiss Army, Visa, Volkswagen Beetle, Walther
Amstel, Apollo Theater, BlackBerry, Budweiser, Chevrolet,
Coca-Cola, Dell, Ford, Harvard University, Hummer, Iron
Man, Jeep, Norton, Ortobom, Panasonic, Pingo Doce, Polar,
Pringles, Ray-Ban, Sharp, Symantec, Volkswagen
NONE
Adidas, American Airlines, Apple, Bag Borrow or Steal, Bang
& Olufsen, BlackBerry, Bluefly, Botox, Buddakan, Burberry,
Carolina Herrara, Cartier, Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian
Lacroix, Christian Louboutin, Christie's, Clean & Clear,
Crayola, Cuisinart, Cup Noodles, Dell, Desert Pepper Trading
Co., Diane von Furstenberg, Dove, Duane Reade, e.p.t.,
Entertainment Weekly, Escada, Ford, Four Seasons, Garnier
Fructis, Gucci, Harvard University, Heinz, Hello Kitty, Henri
Bendel, Herms, Hershey's, HSBC, IWC, Jergens, Junior's,
KeyFood, Kit Kat, Lanvin, Lincoln, L'Oreal, Louis Vuitton,
Lumi, M&M's, Manhattan Mini Storage, Manolo Blahnik, Marie
Claire, Mercedes, Merrill Lynch, MetLife, Montegrappa,
Motorola, Netflix, New York Magazine, New York Post, New
York Public Library, Nike, Nivea, Oscar de la Renta, Page Six,
Pantene, Piazza Sempione, Post-It Notes, Prada, Pret a
Manger, Princeton University, Roger Vivier, S. Pellegrino,
Salvatore Ferragamo, Scoop, Skyy, Smartwater, Sony, Sprint,
Starbucks, Swarovski, Tiffany & Co., TV Guide, U-Haul,
Uniden, Van Cleef & Arpels, Vera Wang, Versace,
VitaminWater, Vivienne Westwood, Vogue, Wall Street
Journal
(Source: http://www.brandchannel.com/brandcameo_films.asp?movie_year=2008#movie_list
MOVIES
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom
of the Crystal Skull
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince
Caspian
Iron Man
Baby Mama
21
FEATURED BRANDS
Chrysler, Clorox, Ford, Good Humor Ice Cream, HarleyDavidson, New Britain Transportation, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Pan
American Airways, Spam
Daily Express
Apple, Audi, Blthner, Brown University, Bulgari, Burger
King, Cadillac, Cadillac Escalade, Caesars Palace, Chevrolet,
Cisco, CNBC, Dell, Dolce & Gabbana, Esquire, Forbes, Ford,
Goodyear, LG, M.I.T., Maxim, MySpace, Newsweek, Nissan,
Operation, Perrier, Persol, Ray-Ban, Rolling Stone, Rolls
Royce, Saleen, Segway, Shelby, Tesla, Texaco, The Apogee
Foundation, U.S. Air Force, University of California,
Berkeley, Vanity Fair, Verizon, Voss, Wired
7-Eleven, American Idol, Apple, Audi, Blimpie, Boo Boo
Busters, Budweiser, Clif Bar, Coca-Cola, Deer Park, Doctors
Without Borders, Dogswell, Dr. Pepper, Exxon, Forbes,
Infiniti, Jamba Juice, Marriott, Maytag, Mazda, Motorola,
Pam, Penn State University, Perrier, Persol, Philadelphia
Eagles, Pringles, Red Bull, Red Vines, Rolling Rock, S.
Pellegrino, Sega, Sharp, Silk, Sony, Suzuki, Tastykake, Terra
Chips, USA Today, White Castle, Yamaha
American Express, Boston Bruins, Boston Red Sox, Enyce,
MasterCard, Tennessee Titans, Xbox
Brown University, Ford, GMC, Jones Soda, Klonopin, Life &
Style Weekly, Midol, Samsung
Bally's Hotel and Casino, Beefeater Gin, Bombay Sapphire,
Budweiser, Caesars Palace, Casino Royale and Hotel, Cathay
Corner, Chrysler, Circus Circus Casino, Dunkin' Donuts,
Everlast, Freitag, GMC, Grey Poupon, Gucci, Hard Rock Cafe,
Harvard University, Jansport, Lincoln, Louis Vuitton, M.I.T.,
Mandalay Bay Casino, MGM Grand, Mirage Casino, Monte
Carlo Casino, Palms Hotel and Casino, Pepsi, Planet
Hollywood, Pony, Red Rock Casino, Reebok, Republic, Rio All
Suite Hotel and Casino, Samuel Adams, Sony PlayStation,
Sunplus Technology, The Boston Language Institute, The
Riviera Hotel and Casino, Treasure Island Casino, Twinkies,
VitaminWater, Volkswagen
NONE
NONE
(Source: http://www.brandchannel.com/brandcameo_films.asp?movie_year=2008#movie_list
MOVIES
Semi-Pro
Vantage Point
Jumper
Fools Gold
Cloverfield
The Bucker List
FEATURED BRANDS
adidas, Budweiser, Busch, Cadillac, Converse, Denver
Nuggets, Hitachi, Indiana Pacers, NBA, New Jersey Nets,
Penthouse, PUMA, San Antonio Spurs, Shasta, Sports
Illustrated
Chevrolet, Dasani, Mercedes, Perrier, Peugeot, Sony, Sony
Ericsson, Sony VAIO, Volkswagen Beetle
Alitalia, Apple, Aquafina, Armani, Budweiser, Carhartt,
Delta, DODA, Dodge Magnum, Emigrant Savings Bank, Epson,
Ford, Houlihan's, Jeep, Marvel, McDonald's, Mercedes,
Meridian, MetLife, NBA, Nokia, NY1, Oprah Winfrey,
Quiksilver, Samsung, Sierra Mist, Tanqueray, The North Face,
University of Michigan, USA Today, Verbatim, Visa
Apple, Arby's, Budweiser, Bushnell, Chris Craft, Dive Rite,
Eve's Addiction, Frito Lay, Howard Johnson, Kalik, Mapquest,
Mares, National Enquirer, OK! Magazine, Piaggio, Rip Curl,
Sony PlayStation, Tabasco, T-Mobile
adidas, Aropostale, Alesis, Apple, Baldwin, BMW, CocaCola, Converse, Nike, Range Rover, Sabian, Yamaha
American Idol, Apple, Barbie, Black & Decker, Boost Mobile,
Botox, Cadillac Escalade, Chanel, Chevrolet, Coca-Cola,
Dentyne, Dummies, Gatorade, Grey Goose, Hooters, JDate,
Krispy Kreme, MySpace, Neutrogena, Nintendo, Palms Hotel
and Casino, Pedigree, Red Bull, Subway, UPS, YouTube
Aquafina, Belvedere, Budweiser, Campari, CNN, Ford, Frito
Lay, Jolly Rancher, Lacoste, Mercedes, Mountain Dew,
Nationwide, Nike, Nokia, NY1, Panasonic, Philips, Sephora
Apple, Bell, Cadillac, Chock Full ONuts, Chrysler, Cisco,
Ford, Ford Mustang, Hill-Rom, HP, Lacoste, Listerine, Los
Angeles Dodgers, Mercedes, Motorola, Pepsi, Philips,
Pontiac, Pyrotect, Rolls Royce, San Francisco Giants, Sharp,
The North Face, The Riviera Hotel and Casino, Timberland,
Toyota, United States Parachute Association
Apple, Aquafina, BlackBerry, Borders, Cadillac, Cisco,
Converse, Ferrari, Ford, Fuller's London Pride, HP, Land
Rover, Mayflower, Mercedes, Motorola, MSN, Red Bull, Rolex,
Seattle's Best Coffee, Tracker Boats, Volvo, ZTV
(Source: http://www.brandchannel.com/brandcameo_films.asp?movie_year=2008#movie_list
Figure 4
FEATURED BRANDS ON MOVIES RELEASED IN 2008
Product:Ragu Express
Show: Everybody Loves Raymond
Placement: Ray is spying on his wife at the supermarket. When it looks like she might
spot him, he quickly ducks behind an end-cap display of Ragu Express boxes.
Value: $83,125
Explanation: "There are two clear shots of the product. In both, the show's star, Ray
Romano, has his hands on the product. The brand name is clearly visible. The second
shot is a close-up."
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=20&did=977550951&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=4&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1217003997&clientId=57020
If there is one particular brand that is brand-conscious, its the Bond. Chu said that The Bond
Franchise is one of the pioneers in product placement (129). David Wilson, EONs vice
president of global business strategy reiterated that Bond has always been a brand-aware
character(Chu 129).
No marketer, no advertiser, and no movie mogul would deny the truth that product
placement promises good business deals. Manufacturers are investing millions of dollars not for
nothing, but for more and more dollars. If it doesnt work, it wont prosper. If it does prosper,
remarkable increase in sales which is attributed to product placement, so far, is the tie-in between
Reeses Pieces and ET The Extra Terrestrial which was reported to have its sales increased by
60 to 65 % (Welsh 70). In 2001, BMW Motors created what Douglas Rushkoff called the
perfect hybrid of ad and movie (The Persuader). The movie titled The Hire was not just
sponsored by BMW Motors but they are also the producer. The Editor in chief of Advertising
Age, Scott Donation, called this venture an advertising as a piece of entertainment in and of
itself that people not only
will tolerate but will actually go in search of (The Persuader). Donation also said that BMW
sales increased dramatically years following the airing of this film (The Persuader).
Fed Ex seemed to enjoy a full-length-film exposure to the audience knowing that the
main character could not be detached from the company where he supposedly works for.
The film did not only heighten brand awareness but also increased the reputation or
image of the featured brand since it was associated with the drama and realization that transpired
in the movie. Definitely, the real executives from Fed Ex knew exactly where the film would
lead them. As Mitch Kanner of the Integrated Entertainment Partners said, At the end of the
film, not only did we deliver the packages, but we found romance. How much better could you
feel about the brand? (The Persuader).
Another movie that became controversial because of strategic product placement was
Missing which was produced by Columbia Pictures Entertainment which was purchased by
Coca-Cola.
Missing, a film released in 1982, is about an American student who was killed by
members of Pinochet regime (Behind the Screens). In the film it was obvious that there is a
featured divide between the good or Coke and the bad or Pepsi. Douglas analyzed the
scenes and said that it was apparent that the violent scenes with the Pinochet regime are shot
with Pepsi logo on the background while the good guys in the film, supposedly the Americans,
are seen enjoying their glasses of Coke (Behind the Screens). Definitely, there is no
coincidence to the Pepsi logo and Coke scenarios in the movie. They were, as Douglas pointed
Sargent, et. al. mentioned that when a cigarette brand appears in a film, it gives the brand
a favorable distinction by being associated with the characters and the tone of the film (29).
In their studies, they content analysed contemporary films taken from a ten-year period.
They actually watched and analysed the contents of the top 25 US box-office films for each year
from 1988 to 1997 then they compared the prevalence of brand appearances for movies which
The focus of this research aside from the comprehensive literature review on product
placement is to find out what the viewers attitudes are toward the ethical, economic and creative
implication of product placement on movies.
The questionnaire has three parts: part 1 asked about the profile; part 2 aims to
measure the brand recall of the respondents; part 3 aims to find out the respondents attitudes
toward the ethical, economic and creative implications of product placement. The questionnaires
were distributed online using snowball sampling to 100 respondents.
After the result of the survey was tallied, four (4) online focus group discussions
(through Yahoo messenger conference) were scheduled inviting 8 members from each of the age
groups. The FGDs revealed remarkable and interesting ideas which contributed to the research.
1.
AGE DISTRIBUTION
40-49; 13%
30-39; 17%
20-29; 57%
GENDER
Male; 38%
Female; 62%
Over half of the respondents are female and their ages range from 20 to 29 years old.
How often, on the average, do you watch movies?
Theater
28
30
25
22
20
15
10
5
0
1-3 times amore
w eek
than 4 times a1-3
w eek
times amore
month
than 4 times a1-3
month
times amore
yearthan 4 times a year
Many of the respondents prefer to watch movies on cinema. During the online FGDs, it
was revealed that all of the participants have preference on theatre over other media although
all of them have DVD players and original DVDs at home. FGD4-B mentioned that she
loves watching films in theatre because she gets to spend time with her close friends. FGD
VCD
42
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
35
2
0
29
30
25
21
20
15
14
11
12
13
10
5
0
1-2 times a w eek
more than 4 times a w eek
1-2 times a month
more than 4 times a month
1-2 times a year
more than 4 times a year
Results on the frequency on viewing reveals that all of the respondents watch movies in theatres
and using DVDs but only 79 % do watch films with their VCDs. About 39% of the respondents
watch theater for 1 -3 times a month and 42% watch for more than 4 times a month using VCDs.
This implies that those respondents with VCDs still prefer to watch using them compared with
DVDs or with theater. Most of the respondents who watch in theaters are those between 20 and
29 years old. The older respondents prefer DVDs in watching movies.
No; 14
Yes ; 86
BRANDED
PRODUCT RECALL
25
20
21
20
14
15
Male
10
Female
6
4
4
1
0
0-10%
11-20%
21-30%
31-40%
41-50%
51-60%
00
61-70%
0
71-80%
00
8190%
00
91-100%
00
The study revealed that only 4 female respondents have a brand recall which is between
61 and 70%. None of the male respondents had reached 50% of brand recall. This result implies
Researcher:
So you admit that featuring Starbucks in Youve Got Mail would make
a viewer go to the nearest Starbucks to have some coffee?
FGD 3-A:
FGD 3-C:
Interesting huh
FGD 3-A:
But back then, I didnt consider that advertising. I think its normal
thing for people to consume branded products. Its normal. Besides
I prefer to see the products being used by a character.
FGD 3-G:
Same here. If I see the actor or actress use the product, I feel more
confident that the product wont go wrong. For example, Samantha in
Sex and the City will not use any item that looks absurd or weird.
13%
87%
If featuring brands on movies can
reach more viewers at less cost, then
it should be acceptable because it
gives more consumers the freedom to
choose without the brand intruding
our space.
The result suggests that most of the respondents do not really mind seeing featured
products in the movies. For most of them, product placement gives consumers the freedom to
choose without the brand intruding their spaces unlike what traditional advertising does. FGD
42
58
Over half of the respondents believe that the lower advertising cost on product
placement cannot yield favorable results for the featured brands. FGD 4-E started talking about
this part saying, I hate commercials
88
12
The viewers are empowered by the
featured brands because they give
them the right to choose without the
brands intruding their space.
Almost all of the respondents agree that only the producers gain from product
placement. FGD 2-A remarked, I dont really care if they gain from that product placement
thing. Thats the whole point of making movies, to gain so good for them. FGD 4-C said she
thought product placement can empower viewers by not having any pitch or sales talk for them
to purchase the product.
This remark implies that hard sell doesnt work for FGD 4-C but soft sell, like product
placements, do. This preference on advertising strategy is the same with the preference of
French consumers, who as found out by Taylor, Holy and Haley, prefer soft sell over hard sell
(qtd. in Gould, Gupta & Grabner-Krauter 46). In their study however, Gould, et. al. considered
89
11
Featuring brands on
movies can make the story
more realistic.
There are many instances when manufacturers deliberately set relatively huge amount to
be used for marketing, particularly for product placement.
For example, in an article by Madden published at Advertising Age in April of this year,
she reported about the plan of Unilever to provide big-time sponsorship to the Chinese version of
Ugly Betty in China. Unilever, according to Madden, is promoting three brands: Dove shower
cream, Clear anti-dandruff shampoo, and Lipton tea milk-in (12). This implies that the main
26%
74%
Product placement has no
influence on the creativity of
the writers and director.
Almost a quarter of the respondents agree that product placement does not at all
influence the creativity of the writers and the director.
There are participants who think that creativity is affected. For example, instead of
making the writer think of brand name for a necessary item in the movie, it would be much
easier to just choose one brand that already exists in the market. By doing this, the creativity of
the writer and the director is not maximized.
A good example of this point is the movie Shrek the Third which did not use any brand
in the movie. According to www.brandchannel.com, the writers of Shrek the Third just invented
some brands, which didnt exist in reality. The idea of creating original and unrealistic brands
like The Far Far Away kingdom creates a more imaginative and creative atmosphere.
However, in this study, more participants think that featuring any brand has nothing to
do with the creativity of the writer and director.
39
61
Product placement does not
influence the storyline.
Over half of the respondents agree that product placement does not influence the
storyline. However, reports would reveal that even before the concept or storyline is finished, the
sponsor already has in mind how the product will be placed strategically in the movie, so as to
guarantee brand awareness and positive association.
Madden cited in her article that Bausch & Lomb is sponsoring a show in China and as
such, the lead female character in the show will transform from being a person with glasses to
someone who displays contact lenses manufactured by Bausch & Lomb. Aside from this, the
shows supposedly stylish characters will be wearing contact lenses in the show (12).
In that cited show, the switch from eye glasses to contact lenses is already an
unsolicited part of the storyline. If the show did not have any partnership with the branded
lenses, perhaps the writers wont even think of such a brand being used by the famous Betty La
Fea of Mexico.
Marketers and manufacturers wont be as sponsor without being placed strategically in
the movies or in any show. If they allot a huge amount of budget for a movie, they, for sure,
expect a huge amount of return on investment. This is the economic aspect that most of the
viewers are not even aware of.
In
a
recent article titled Product Placement Becomes Part of the Plot published
online at the International Herald Tribune, Clifford mentioned that, These days consumer brands
not only appear on shows, but are also elaborately woven into the plot, with advertisers calling a
lot of the shots. Their agencies approve television scripts, suggest plots that hinge on the product,
attend and critique the episode shoots, and review the rough cuts of episodes (Clifford).
Featuring brands on
movies has no ethical
implications.
97%
3%
This result shows that only 3 out of 100 respondents think that product placement has
ethical implication. The four sets of FGDs devoted a lot of time in discussing this part.
FGD 3-A said she doesnt find anything unethical in movies carrying branded names.
She specifically cited Sex and the City as a product-placement-rich movie but she said she
actually liked the placing and the mention of different brands in the movie and said, Its a movie
about culture and fashion, I think, so I watch it also to get more ideas about what brand is in
right now. On the other hand, FGD3-C, one of the participants who believe that product
placement has ethical implication, said that placing a brand on the movie is advertising that does
not tell the viewer that it is advertising. FGD 3-C calls it selling without warning. He
explained that product placement is worse than any 30-second commercial on TV because unlike
Researcher: Yes.
FGD 1-D:
Yep.
FGD 1-B:
FGD 1-D:
There are many ads that lie. They make promises. They make
burgers look mouth-watering but when it looks different
in reality!
FGD 1-D:
14%
45%
39%
2%
This result shows that the respondents have various views on product placement on
movies. Many of the respondents agree that some brands should be banned
All kinds of brands
may be featured
on movies.
on movies. Only 2 respondents believe on total ban on product placement.
Recently, anti-smoking groups have also had some early successes at eroding
the social acceptability of smoking. Smoking is being positioned as unfashionable,
as well as unhealthy, custom. We must use every creative means at our disposal to
reverse this destructive trend. I do feel heartened at the increasing number of occasions
when I go to a movie and see a pack of cigarettes in the hands of the leading lady.
This is in sharp contrast to the state of affairs just a few years ago when cigarettes
rarely showed up on camera. We must continue to exploit new opportunities
to get cigarettes on screen and into the hands of smokers (Big Tobaccos Secret 10).
Indeed, the tobacco companies would not hesitate to do every means to promote their
product. Le Gresley, Muggli & Hurt found out in their research in 2005 that in order to ensure
sales without being controversial on paying huge amount to producers, the British American
Tobacco (BAT), the maker of Lucky Strike, company attempted to produce a movie of their own
The respondents/participants also have their own solution or suggestion about product
placement as a growing issue among marketers and film producers.
First, some of them believe that some products should not be placed on movies. Among
these products which the participants see as ethically charged include cigarette, fast food,
condoms, beer and soft drinks. FGD 4-D believes that showing the people that a particular
brand of condoms works better is to fool the audience. Besides, sometimes, we cant avoid very
young kids watching movies with adults. When they see the condoms brand they ask `What is
that? and its not always easy to answer on-the-spot
FGD2-A, on the other hand, does not want to tolerate main characters ordering at fast
food because she thinks it has big influence on the viewer, especially if the viewer is hungry
when he watches the movie. This remark was contradicted by FGD 2-E who said that If you
dont see any character ordering at any fast food, it means the movie is not realistic. Everybody
orders at fast food these days.
More participants are eager to offer other suggestions. Instead of banning some products
on movies, they suggest making some movie genres brand-free. Among these types of movies
are war movies, political film, environment-awareness movies, and childrens films.
Most of the participants agree that childrens films should be totally brand-free.
However, one participant, FGD 1-C said, If you take away brands from movies for kids, its
kinda boring. I cant imagine Toy Story without Mattel or Barbie.
This remark leaves a question worth pondering upon. Can a movie become a hit without
a mention of any brand in the market?
http://www.xentertainment.com/articles/0946/
CONCLUSION
Product placement is nothing new in the advertising, marketing and media industry. For
years, movies have been featuring brands either in exchange for dollars, or some just to build a
relationship with the manufacturers. All these deals happen behind the scenes. The viewers
are not aware that there is money or relationship-building involved in movie making if the actors
or actresses are using branded products. Even if the viewers have knowledge on these deals,
they dont really care much about the deals because they think that only the producers gain
something from the deals. For most of the viewers, at least as of this time, product placement is
actually no big deal.
However, there are some groups which actively monitor product placement both in
television and films. Commercial Alert, Brandhype, and Smoke Free Movies are just few of the
active organizations that advocate sound product placement. They dont necessarily want
product placement to be totally banned but they remind the industry that too much clutter creates
more problems, not only to the society but also to the advertising and marketing industry.
Product placement in movies, as seen by viewers, is not really a bad idea. However,
these days, most marketers eye on the potential of product placement on movies as the answer to
the current problem of more people zapping than ever.
Indeed, marketers and advertisers are brilliant and brave. They could cross the
borderline just to make their clients happy. They are more than willing to penetrate all possible
means just to bring the dollars from the consumers pockets to the manufacturers treasure. After
The result of literature review and the qualitative study conducted shows that marketers
have a huge opportunity to create a niche in the movie industry through product placement,
considering that this study, which is consistent with other researchers studies, found out that as
of this moment, viewers dont really see product placement as an alarming phenomenon.
However, the following stakeholders in the product placement phenomenon should make
necessary precautions in embracing product placement on movies:
Marketers and advertisers need to be careful not to create clutter in the film so as
not to drive away movie goers;
Giant media networks need to be reminded that movies are made for
entertainment or information, not as vehicles for promoting consumerism;
Film viewers must be on guard for any soft or hard sell injected in the movie so
they wont end up heading to the nearest store or food chains after watching their
favorite actors in their favorite films.
Parents need to monitor even the media consumption of their kids and at least
educate them about how they could become literate media consumer;
Teachers and professors need to influence their students on how critical they
should be in consuming media particularly in choosing contents to believe in
in the movies that they watch;
Online Journals/Books/Newspapers
Balasubramanian, Siva K., Karrh, James A. & Patwardhan, Hemant "Audience Response to
Product Placement: An Integrative Framework and Future Research Agenda. " Journal of
Advertising 35.3 (2006): 115-141. Accessed on 24 Jul. 2008 from
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?
index=21&did=1143318231&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQ
D&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1216916644&clientId=57020
Belch, G. & Belch, M. Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications
Perspective. [7th Ed] US: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2007.
Big Tobaccos Secret History in Hollywood. Smoke Free Movies. Project of Stanton A.
Glantz. (n.d.) Sponsored by grants from American Legacy Foundation, the Arimathea
Fund of the Tides Foundation, etc. Accessed on 25 July 2008 from
http://www.smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu/solution/index.html
Brand Identification: Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge. Smoke Free Movies. Project of Stanton A.
Glantz. (n.d.) Sponsored by grants from American Legacy Foundation, the Arimathea
Fund of the Tides Foundation, etc. Accessed on 25 July 2008 from
http://www.smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu/solution/index.html
Chu, Jeff. "For your wallet only. " Time 18 Nov. 2002: 93. Accessed on 25 Jul. 2008 from
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?
McPherson, Keith. "Product placement: facing yet another dark art. Teacher
Librarian 35.3 (2008): 66-70 Accessed on 28 Jul. 2008 from
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?
index=6&did=1455207121&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD
&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1217253588&clientId=57020
Neuborne, Ellen. "MARKETING: Ready for Your Product's Close-up? " Inc 1 Oct. 2004: 4850. Accessed on 25 Jul. 2008 from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?
index=19&did=977550981&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=4&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD
&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1217003681&clientId=57020
Behind the Screens: Hollywood Goes Hyper-commercial. Edited by Susan Ericsson, Directed
by Susan Ericsson and Matt Soar, Produced by Matt Soar for Media Education
Foundation. 2005. Accessed on 28 July 2008 from
http://www.brandhype.org/videos/BTS-1.mov
The Persuader. Directed by Barak Goodman & Rachel Dretzin, Written by Barak Goodman &
Douglas Rushkoff, Produced by Barak Goodman, Rachel Dretzin and Muriel Soenens for
PBS. November 9, 2004. Accessed on 25 July 2008 from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/
Podcast
Stanton A. Glantz. Interview with Brook Glanstone and Bob Garfield. On the Media. NY
Public Radio: WNYC. 2 March 2007. Accessed on 29 July 2008 from
http://www.smokefreemovies.ucsf.edu/about.html
QUESTIONNAIRE
DVD
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Castaway _____________________
Spider-man _____________________
Superman _____________________
Sex and the City _____________________
Youve Got Mail _____________________
ET The Extra Terrestrial _____________________
I am Sam _____________________
Armageddon _____________________
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles _____________________
Good Will Hunting _____________________
Forrest Gump _____________________
Fantastic Four _____________________
Finding Nemo _____________________
The Chronicles of Narnia _____________________
Back to the Future _____________________
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
J.
K.
L.
* If you think the list misses on some brands which were featured on the movies youve checked, kindly
write them down on the space provided. Thank you!
II.
Check ( ) the statement that applies to your belief and put an X on statement that opposes your belief
about product placement on movies.
________ 1.If featuring brands on movies can reach more viewers at less cost, then it
should be acceptable because it gives more consumers the freedom to choose without the brand
intruding our space.
________ 2. Featuring brands on movies in order to reach more viewers is not acceptable
because it distracts the viewers from concentrating on the movie.
________ 3. I favor product placement over the traditional 30-second commercial because
of the lower advertising cost.
________ 4. The lower advertising cost on product placement can not yield favorable
results for the featured brands because the viewers dont really notice their brands.
________ 5. Only the producers gain from product placement, not the viewers.
________ 6. The viewers are empowered by the featured brands because they give them
the right to choose without the brands intruding their space.
________ 7. Featuring brands on movies can make the story more realistic.
________ 8. Featuring brands on movies can make the story more artificial and actually
more unrealistic.