A Brief Rundown of

Ad Placement and the Movies

Have you ever watched a movie and all of a sudden see some very familiar products being used by the lead actors or actresses in it? Familiarity with the products makes you beam with delight especially if it is one of your favorites or you have something like it. There are many movies that have been used by product companies to do advertising in a very subtle way. Although most of the time it comes out perfect, there are some instances when the advertisement is just simply too obvious. Indeed, there are some company owners who have paid producers and directors so that their products will have ad space in the movie.

Here are some of the product ads in popular movies we have seen.

Ad space was given to AOL and Starbucks in the movie, Youve Got Mail. AOL was the link between the two main stars and have practically become the star in the film. Tom Hands makes some quips about the obscurity of Starbucks which gave it a bit of ad space in the film.

In the movie Sex and the City, many products were advertised. Since fashion is a constant theme in the hit TV series, the movie featured dozens of fashion labels including Louis Vuitton and Chanel. There were other products that also made it to the movie including Nike, U-Haul, Apple, and Marie Claire.

In the movie, E.T., Hersheys company cashed in when Elliot uses Reeses Pieces to entice E.T. back to his house. Although done in a very subtle way, the sales of Reeses Pieces increased tremendously when the movie became a box office hit. This is a very effective subtle technique. Discover more how this technique works.

In Adam Sandlers movie Little Nicky the ad placement was quite obvious. In this movie Adam, Satans son, learns how to eat Popeyes fried chicken with the help of a talking dog, with a big K-mart bag on the side.

In Waynes world, the most quotable quote is I will not bow to any sponsor. The plot allowed the blatant advertising in this movie. It was clearly an advertisement for Pizza Hut when he opened a box while saying the famous line. One scene showed Wayne explaining that he doesnt believe in selling out while eating Doritos and drinking Pepsi. And, Garth adds his own unsolicited opinion on the idea of selling out while wearing Reebok gear from head to toe.

When people see familiar products in the movies, people react in different ways. There are those who dont care. There are those who like the way it was shown. But there are those who cherish the familiarity. This method of advertising has allowed companies to reach a worldwide audience. Advertising on a blockbuster movie reaches millions.