Nike in Back to the Future 2

When working on print ads in Copywriting 101 the instructor always urged us (the students) to get the readers to believe that the ad is just another article in the magazine. That way, she would assure us, the reader will see and read the ad without skipping a beat.

In television, movies and music videos there is a way to do the same exact thing. It’s called product placement.

Benefits and drawbacks to product placement

We have all seen product placement in one form or another; whether we were aware of it or not.

During a normal commercial many people change the channel or tune out the message. But with product placement you are exposed to thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people who are paying close attention. It’s great for getting your name out to a massive audience quickly and uninterrupted.

Another benefit? Well, if people are already watching the show there is a certain amount of trust they give to the characters and personas they watch. This adds a certain amount of clout to your product similar to the way an endorsement might with certain demographics.

The downside to product placement is the lack of a call to action if the movie, show or video is not scripted to show off the benefits of your product. Also depending on the placement it can get pricey.

So please; if you choose to pay for product placement, make sure you have control over how your product is presented. You don’t want to turn off your perfect customer by botched product placement. An example you say? Here are two, both from Days of Our Lives. Be warned, you will cringe.

Days of Our Lives product placement horror #1:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Days of Our Lives product placement horror #2:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Placing your product

When talking about pricing you should always keep in mind the cost of placing an ad in different mediums and the recurring costs. With product placement it’s a one time deal. And it usually gets played longer or more often than a commercial.

Most of the time the process of product placement starts with you calling the producer of a show movie or music video; but now that Assurance Advertising has teamed up with AZ Film Studios, in Hollywood, California, you can get your products out in front of giant audiences easily by using our noteworthy and talented artists’ music videos and films. If your product needs to be placed in a movie that we aren’t involved in don’t worry, we can still handle the legwork of contacting producers for you.

So if you want to get your product out in front of hundreds of thousands in a way you know people will see it, contact us for a quote and list of up coming

Gucci hired Frank Miller, the man behind the blockbuster movies 300 and Sin City to create a film for their new campaign.

The company unleashed a new fragrance and they created a fantastically easy-to-navigate eye-candy of a Facebook page to promote the online video Miller created to promote the commercial he film designed to push the perfume. Try saying that ten times fast!

“A white sports car screeches across a dystopian cityscape – a beautiful blonde at the wheel. Her blazing tires screech to a halt, and she steps out to survey her hunting ground. Savoring the night air she remembers: a night, a man, her choice… a perfume.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Anyone remember the Ridley Scott commercial that introduced the Apple Macintosh Computer to the world in 1984?

Click here to view the embedded video.

A look at the recent shift in Hollywood to put marketing execs in control.

All of us have had to work hard these past few years to bear the weight of this economic corpse wrapped around our necks. Even companies that have been at the top of the food chain like Disney are taking a second look at how they’re doing business.

Earlier this month Universal president Ron Meyer told sources that co-chairs Mark Struger and David Lind would be stepping down and alluded to replacements that have strong backgrounds in marketing, as opposed to the traditional movie industry candidates. This occurring after a summer of, shall we say, less than horrible turn out at the box office.

But this shuffle isn’t a solitary incident. Disney Studio’s chair Dick Cook resigned and was replaced by Disney Channel president Rick Ross whose strength is also in marketing. The same thing happened at MGM the month before, and at Paramount a month before that.

What can we learn from this management shift?

Hollywood, along with countless other industries, are beginning to realize that they need to connect with their consumers on a deeper, more proactive level. Ideas like “Hannah Montana” from the mind of Rick Ross were (surprise-surprise) a planned marketing strategy. The idea is to get people involved in all levels of the “product” by using all mediums to promote it with the end result of the consumer being constantly drawn to it. Rick knew before he even started that he was going to make his one idea fit Movies, T.V., and music. This allows for convenience to the consumer and more recognizable merchandising.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: That there has been hundreds of the so called “triple threat” stars and that the idea is nothing new. You are completely right. But take into account that most “triple threat” stars have had to work hard for years through the industry going one step at a time to finally become recognized for their multiple talents. They never had the marketing plan laid out for all three at once, nor was there a major movie company willing to invest in that kind of marketing for a future star.

But today this concept is changing Hollywood (especially in the area of children’s entertainment) and the way consumers are spending their entertainment dollars. Which just goes to show you something that may or may not have worked 5 years ago could have a totally different effect on consumers today because of changing needs.

The next hurdle for Hollywood is to create a similar style of marketing strictly aimed at adults. This is another major factor toward the aforementioned management shift. There has been tremendous loss of adult movie goers which can be attributed to new media and T.V. options available to them during this “great recession.”

We all have to find new and innovative ways to get in touch with our clients and move them to use our products or services. So if you’re in business for yourself, or work as an executive, dust off the old marketing books and really dig in… Your income may depend on it.