Advertising in film goes hand-in-hand with big screen cinema, dating back to the 1800s. In 1896, Auguste and Louis Lumière first displayed Sunlight Soap for the company Lever Brothers. Since then, product placement in movies has become commonplace. In fact, in many instances, marketing in movies helps fund the production. One of the most well-known forms of advertising in movies is product placement.
What is product placement?
Product placement definition [When a brand displays its product or service in a movie scene]
The hope for product advertising in movies is that the product placement is displayed organically, so the audience simply accepts its natural inclusion in the film. However, it doesn’t always happen like that.
Here are some product placement examples; some excruciatingly obvious and others that may go unnoticed.
#1 Nike in Back to the Future II
In Back to the Future II with Michael J. Fox, Marty McFly dons futuristic shoes that lace up themselves from none other than Nike. Here the Nike logo is unmistakable and an obvious product placement.
#2 Reese’s Pieces in E.T.
In E.T., Elliot uses Reese’s Pieces to entice E.T. to come back to his house. Before the film, Reese’s Pieces were less than popular, but after the release of the film, Reese’s Pieces sales tripled. Hershey’s even remarketed the peanut butter chocolates as E.T.’s favorite candy, which could be seen in multiple marketing collateral, including posters, television commercials, and an available snack at movie theater concession stands. Director Steven Spielberg’s original choice was M&M, but Mars declined.
#3 Toy Brands in Toy Story
Brands like Mattel, Hasbro, and Slinky made their debut in Toy Story in 1995, and Disney saw a multimillion-dollar increase in toy sales after the film’s release and subsequent franchise.
#4 Various Product Placements in James Bond
Throughout the years of James Bond, the movies have had their fair share of product placement deals; some fit perfectly with the character, and others not so much. Since 1962, the James Bond franchise has been fueling production with product placements that include Pan Am Airlines, Aston Martin, Smith and Wesson, Camel, Playboy, KFC, Macallan Whiskey, Rolex, Seiko, Omega, Bollinger Champagne, Dom Perignon, 7 Up, Toblerone, Smirnoff, and more.
#5 Wayne’s World Product Endorsements
Wayne’s World with Michael Meyers and Dana Carvey had a whirlwind of product placements, as well, but they did it with comedic effect, parodying the whole endeavor. Product placements include Pepsi, Doritos, Pizza Hut, Reebok, Nuprin, and more.
#6 Ray-Ban® in Top Gun
This wasn’t the first time Tom Cruise sported Ray-Bans in a movie, as he also did in Risky Business, but the Ray-Ban Aviators seen in Top Gun skyrocketed sales for Ray-Ban’s cool shades.
#7 FedEx® and Wilson® in Cast Away
While the product placements in Cast Away look pretty obvious, none of them were paid ads. So Tom Hanks, his friend Wilson Volleyball, and his booty of FedEx packages were naturally written into the script, even though the brands still had a hand in how they were presented. Wilson even made a Castaway Volleyball.
#8 Jack Daniel’s in Basic Instinct
Jack Daniel’s quintupled their sales after funding an approximately million-dollar product placement in the 1992 version of Basic Instinct. Coke also gets a nice mention.
#9 Heinz in The Shinning
Remember the hotel’s large pantry? Heinz Tomato Ketchup is clearly displayed more than once, and plenty of other brands get an honorable mention.
#10 The Daily Telegraph and A Clockwork Orange
Another oldie but a goodie, Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, based on the Novel by Anthony Burgess, shouts out to print publications with newspapers, including Britain’s Daily Telegraph.
#11 Multiple Brands in Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump highlights all sorts of memorable moments throughout history, and with that comes some pretty blatant product placements, including Dr. Pepper, Apple, and Nike.
#12 Marlboro in Men in Black
Though cigarette ads got the crackdown, Marlboro made a guest appearance in Men in Black in 1997.
#13 Luxury Retailers in The Devil Wears Prada
The Prada brand is literally in the title, but the film, based largely on Vogue magazine editor-and-chief, Anna Wintour, has product placements for various top luxury retailers, including Yves Saint-Laurent, Valentino, and Chanel. The product placements in The Devil Wears Prada aren’t as shameless as others as they are worked in quite naturally with the movie’s plot.
#14 National Geographic in It’s a Wonderful Life
This one dates back to 1946, but National Geographic magazine gets a direct call out in It’s a Wonderful Life.
#15 Nokia and The Matrix
We all remember those fun futuristic phones from Nokia. After the film’s release in 1999, Nokia sold over 8 million 8110 phones.
#16 Marlboro and Superman 2
Phillip Morris paid $43K back in 1982 for several Marlboro Cigarette product placements in Superman 2, including when Superman is literally thrown into the side of a Marlboro tuck.
#17 Coca-Cola® and Romeo & Juliette
In 1996, Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes starred in a unique version of Romeo & Juliette, where a French billboard pays homage to Coca-Cola.
#18 Ikea® and Fight Club
Fight Club is a satirical dark comedy about consumerism that offers the perfect opportunity for “ironic” product placement, including Ikea and its unquestionable presence in the apartment of Edward Norton, aka Tyler Durden.
#19 Schmidt’s® Beer in Rocky
Christian Schmidt Brewing Company in Philadelphia was featured in Rocky with Schmidt’s Beer being drunk by Sylvester Stallone, aka Rocky Balboa.
#20 Jurassic World Sponsors
Jurassic World gets a lot of people’s votes for the most shameless product placements on this list, which are vast and include sponsors like Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Ben & Jerry’s, Mercedes-Benz, Beats by Dre, and more.
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