Product placement is the deliberate incorporation of references to a brand or product in exchange for compensation. Product placements may range from unobtrusive appearances within an environment, to prominent integration.
Product placement, also known as embedded marketing, is a marketing technique where references to specific brands or products are incorporated into another work, such as a film or television program, with specific promotional intent.
While references to brands (real or fictional) may be voluntarily incorporated into works to maintain a feeling of realism or be a subject of commentary, product placement is the deliberate incorporation of references to a brand or product in exchange for compensation. Product placements may range from unobtrusive appearances within an environment, to prominent integration and acknowledgement of the product within the work. Common categories of products used for placements include automobiles and consumer electronics. Works produced by vertically integrated companies (such as Apple) may use placements to promote their other divisions as a form of corporate synergy.
ORIGINS
Product placement began in the 19th century. By the time Jules Verne published the adventure novel Around the World in Eighty Days (1873), his fame had led transport and shipping companies to lobby to be mentioned in the story. Whether Verne was actually paid to do so remains unknown.
Similarly, a painting by Edouard Manet (1881-1882) shows a bar at the Folies Bergere with distinctive bottles placed at either end of the counter. The beer bottle is immediately recognizable as Bass beer. Bass had become the largest brewery in the world.
Films produced by Auguste and Louis Lumière in 1896 feature Sunlight soap, which may be the first recorded instance of paid product placement in film.
This led to cinema becoming one of the earliest channels used for product placement.
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NOTABLE PRODUCT PLACEMENTS IN FILMS
Bond actor Daniel Craig voted the 2000GT as his favorite Bond car of all time. Using the 2000GT in the Bond Film was a very successful example of product placement, after the world had recently watched the 1964 Summer Olympics televised live by satellite and in color from Tokyo. Audiences wondered who built the car that raced through the streets of Tokyo, and once it was learned it was built by Toyota, visits to local dealerships increased, hoping to get a look at the car in person. The movie had its world premiere in London on 12 June 1967, and the car had only been introduced less than a month earlier in May. Film director Lewis Gilbert had originally intended to use a different car that had just been introduced, the Chevrolet Camaro. However, his friend Sachio Fukuzawa, a factory racing driver for Toyota, convinced Gilbert that a Japanese car should be used for a film taking place in Japan. Read More
The Trans Am made it debut in this Iconic movie.
Burt Reynolds says that a senior executive at Pontiac promised him a free Trans-Am if the movie became a hit. It did and the 1977 T-Top Trans-Am became one of the hottest selling cars of the year. Read More
To promote the film, The New York Times reported that Warner Bros. had licencees for 34 products including posters, Pepsi-Cola, pajamas, and T-shirts with Superman carrying the American flag. They had also enlisted their publishing division to produce calendars, pop-up books, a film novelization, a behind-the-scenes book, and a children’s dictionary.
The Philip Morris Company had paid $40,000 for their Marlboro cigarette to appear in the film. During the Metropolis battle, General Zod throws Superman into a Marlboro delivery truck, although actual vehicles for tobacco distribution are unmarked for security reasons.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was a colossal movie blockbuster success in 1982. It surpassed Star Wars as the highest grossing film of all time. Reese’s Pieces, made by Hershey, accepted the deal before Amblin could fully pitch the offer to them. The parameters of the agreement were, Hershey did not have to pay for Reese’s Pieces to be featured in the film, in return, Hershey agreed to promote E.T. with $1 million worth of advertising in 1982 which is about $3 million dollars in 2021. Reese’s Pieces sales blew up! There’s a dispute about the actual numbers, but its estimated sales went up 65% to 85%. The power of marketing and branding, right?
While Bond has always been associated with Martinis, shaken not stirred, Skyfall decided to mix things up with the introduction of Heineken beer, in which the company reportedly paid a massive $45 million to be a part of.
PRODUCT PLACEMENT TYPES

"SIMPLE PRESENCE"
Probably the most discrete product placement in movies as nobody interacts with it. See the cans in the storage area as shown above.

"INTERACTION"
Product placement in movies in which the main character or cast of characters interacts with the product in primary filming.

"WILSON"
Probably the most intense product placement in movies as the product takes an important place in the scenario and is inseparable from the movie.
AUTO-PROMOTION
SHARED-PROMOTION
Placing contemporary products into existing content creates new opportunities for marketers. These can be during reruns or video release. An early example of product replacement is the 1993 Sylvester Stallone action film Demolition Man.
The film includes a plot point that in the future world of 2032, Taco Bell is the only remaining restaurant franchise. Since Taco Bell was not well known outside of the U.S., for the international release of the film it was replaced with Pizza Hut another restaurant chain owned by Yum! Brand lines were re-dubbed and logos changed during post-production.
REVERSE PRODUCT PLACEMENT

So-called “reverse product placement” creates real products to match those seen in a fictional setting, typically as a tie-in.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) led to a real Willy Wonka candy company, established soon after the film’s release.

Television Product Placements
The list of television shows with the most instances of product placement (according to Nielsen Media Research) included:
- The Biggest Loser – 6,248
- American Idol – 3,000
- Extreme Makeover: Home Edition – 3,371
- America’s Toughest Jobs – 2,807
- One Tree Hill – 2,575
- Deal or No Deal – 2,292
- America’s Next Top Model – 2,241
- Last Comic Standing – 1,993
- Kitchen Nightmares – 1,853
- Hell’s Kitchen – 1,807
Product Placements Companies
AIM PRODUCTIONS(718) 729-928834-12 36th Street, Suite 228, New York, NY 11106 |
FORTY6ELEVENLos Angeles, CA 91107 |
FRONT ROW MEDIA360 N. Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite 2000 , El Segundo, CA 90245 |
GREEN PRODUCT PLACEMENTGreen Product Placement Promotes Products with a Green, Ethical, Social Enterprising and Local Entrepreneurial Agenda by Providing Products to Place as Set Dressing, Props and Wardrobe. They Seek to make “Green” “Normal” and Promote Sustainable … …more |
HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL PLACEMENTS INC14040 Milbank Street, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 |
PRODUCT PLACEMENT AND FAIR USE,LEGAL!
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FatKid Films2015 Melbourne Queer Film Festival - World Premiere, Official Selection, The Dream Children, AustraliaOzwood entertainmentTony Estephen is a Managing Director at Enviroshield Waterproofing based in North Strathfield, New South Wales. Also owner of Ozwood Entertainment, producing internationally acclaimed films in New South Wales, Australia.
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