Product placement in television and movies has been around for a while. Seeing a “real life” product in a movie helps to give that movie a sense of realism. Usually, these placements are subtle: a can of Coke seen when a refrigerator door is opened, a box of Cheerios on the breakfast table. Others, however, are in your face, up close and personal. Some are so obvious it seems the producers simply had the screenwriter leave a blank in the script and sold the spot to the highest bidder. Here are my top 10 examples of blatant product placement in the movies.
One entire scene revolves around Sandra Bullock’s character explaining to Sylvester Stallone’s unfrozen cop from the 90s that Taco Bell won the franchise wars and “now all restaurants are Taco Bells.” They then proceed to a fancy, sit down place where no Mexican food is present at all. It has nothing to do with the plot of the movie and any restaurant name could have been used. I guess Taco Bell was the highest bidder.
In the mid 90s, Apple Computer (now Apple, Inc.) was facing a crisis. Very few people were buying their computers and Apple needed to get in the public eye in a positive way. So, in 1996, they put their computers on the silver screen in, not one, but two blockbuster movies. In M:I, Tom Cruise uses a PowerBook to communicate with the bad guy (and girl) and ultimately save the day (and his reputation). In ID:4, Jeff Goldblum uses a PowerBook to plant a deadly computer virus in the attacking aliens’ mothership. I even remember an Apple commercial that tied in with Mission:Impossible.
The vehicles that Jeff Goldblum and team use while exploring Site B were a new Mercedes Benz SUV. Steven Spielberg took great care to frame a shot that showed the famous Benz logo up close. Again, a commercial by Mercedes was shown on television to capitalize on this movie placement.
Like #8 this is another vehicle placement. What makes it so bad is that Dodge, I think, hurt themselves. The good guys all have old beat up clunkers, except for Bill Paxton’s character, who drives a brand new Dodge Ram pick-up. But the bad guys, led by Carey Elwes’ character, all drive black Dodge mini-vans. Of course, one of them gets impaled by a tornado thrown pole and then gets tossed around and eventually blown up by said tornado.
In the DVD commentary, the director, Robert Zemeckis, said they needed a “real” company to be in this movie for authenticity. But I for one can’t look at a FedEx shipping box without thinking about two things: That weird angel drawing and “Wilson! Wiiilllsooonn!”
This represents a legitimate practice; advertisers sponsoring a NASCAR racing team and plastering their logo all over the car and driver. However, after seeing this movie, every time I see a Mello Yello, I think about Tom Cruise and that black car driving through the wreckage.
I mention this one because the National Football League is extremely particular about the fictional use of any of its franchises or logos in movies and television. Most movies that concern a professional football team use a fictional one. It’s surprising then that the Miami Dolphins were in this movie at all.
Like #5 this represents a legitimate practice; a professional athlete doing product endorsements. But like #10, this one could have gone to any product. Subway just happened to win the bidding war. This one is also noticeable because in subsequent airings on cable and network television, the Subway t-shirt that Adam Sandler wears in parts of the movie has its logo blurred out.
The cola wars were going on hot and heavy in 1985 when the first installment of Back to the Future premiered. Pepsi was winning and in order to capitalize on that momentum they were featured heavily in this movie. There’s even a scene where Michael J. Fox’s character of Marty McFly goes into the 1955 cafe and orders a Pepsi Free, Pepsi’s diet drink. The soda jerk tells him if he wants a Pepsi he’s gonna have to pay for it. In Part 2, Marty travels to 2015. Doc Brown tells him to go to the Cafe 80s and order a Pepsi. He gives him a $50 bill to pay for it.
This is the one that really started it all. Although product placement had been around before 1981, this movie put the practice into overdrive. No one will ever forget E.T. croaking out the words “Reese’s pieces” as he happily munches his way down the trail that Elliot has left for him. Interestingly, Spielberg wanted to originally use M&Ms, but couldn’t secure the rights. Hershey’s, who own Reese’s, stepped up and the rest is history.
Contributor: Randy
Wow. No Converse in I, Robot?? really?
What about Calvin Klein underwear in "Back to the Future"?
I don’t think the “Why do you keep calling me Calvin?” line would have been as effective if Marty had been wearing Fruit of the Looms.
Subway….”they always &^%$ you at the drive-thru” – Joe Pesci in Lethal Weapon 2(or three)
The Dodge placement was great and timed perfectly with the release of the truck. A couple interesting things though… I think Carey Elwes’ character in twister was actually driving a big black Chevy Suburban or something- the perfect arch nemesis for our hero’s Ram. Also, if you’re ever at Universal Studios in Orlando check out the Twister attraction. They actually have a Dodge Dakota with Ram badges in the attraction!
I have a mjor beef with product placement – I just don’t get the fuss it causes because I never, ever notice it. An Apple laptop in Independance Day? I’ve watched that film umpteen times and never, even noticed it before. So much for advertising if you don’t notice the product.
The mercedes benz should of been higher on the list like at #4 spot or around that
i mean that was a great choice of car to put in there and it was a sick car aswell
I watched the Super Mario Bros movie today for the first time in ages. Towards the end of the movie a little bomb-omb is making it’s way to blow up King Koopa and stamped on the bottom of his foot is the “Reebok” symbol. Talk about an odd product placement!!
I don’t remember E.T. actually saying ‘Reeces Pieces’…
Remember The Fifth Element? I wonder if McDonalds will really be like that in the future…
Ripley’s “Alien Stompers” by Reebok in Aliens – I almost bought a pair!
Man, you forgot the most blatant of all time: Wayne’s World.
Wayne and Garth sit around discussing artistic integrity and their inability to ‘sell out’ to a sponsor- all while endorsing products by Pepsi, Domino’s Pizza, Reebok, and Nuprin.
Not saying it wasn’t funny, but the product placement was definitely in your face.
Dude that was the point of the whole scene! how far over your head did that go? It was ironic say it with me ironic.
Apple Computer was also in Forrest Gump when he “invested in a
fruit company and wouldn’t have to worry ’bout money no more”
- I agree with Yarr, Wayne’s World for sure needs at least an honourable mention
Excellent list!
Another good one: Starbucks in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me!
Yarr: Yeah, that was a good one, though I was shooting for one company/product per movie/scene.
What about the scene in Pulp Fiction where Jules and Vincent talk about what Big Macs and Quarter Pounders are called in Europe?
Phoenix: You may be right. I may be thinking of the commercial tie ins that had the E.T. voice saying “Reese’s Pieces”
I don’t mind product placement sometimes if it is done the way FedEx was in Castaway. It can make the everything just seem more real to me. If Tom Hanks was working for SpeedyMail, the movie would have been the same, but it could have added a touch of cheesy.
Then again, some great scenes happen because of the lack of product placement:
“Big Kahuna Burger? That’s that Hawaiian burger joint? I hear they got some tasty burgers”
“Mmmm, this IS a tasty burger”
How ’bout ‘Total Recall.’ Mars was full of product placement… MARS Today (newspaper), Hilton, Pepsi. Killian’s Red… just to name a few
What about Popeye’s Chicken in “Little Nicky” – the movie was atrocious and, all the more so, because they kept plugging Popeye’s Chicken.
I think it’s already been mentioned, but Wayne’s World is classic in this area.
Yarr: Little, yellow, different.
I think E.T. does say Reese’s Pieces. I vaguely remember a scene where he starts repeating it.
I think it was in Kung Pow (can’t really remember for sure), when the one guy is walking down this old historic street, and all of a sudden you see this brand-new Taco Bell…and he’s singing, “Taco Bell, Taco Bell, Product Placement for Taco Bell”…hahaha…that’s pretty blatant…but it was also a pretty crummy movie.
Coca Cola in Blade Runner.
Anyone notice that every car on the freeway in the second Matrix movie is a GM vehicle?
There’s another scene in Independence Day, right before Will Smith gets marries and he hugs his new stepson, who has a backwards hat on, and the adidas logo on the hat literally fills up the screen for like twenty seconds. It makes you love Will Smith’s fatherly side AND want to play soccer all at the same time…
“Return of the Killer Tomatoes” had a good scene (w/ George Clooney) where they made fun of product placement. George’s character is holding a candy bar and moving around but is always making sure that the candy bars name on the wrapper is always faceing the camera.
Monolithic corporations are a greater threat to our freedoms than all foreign terrorists combined.
The unholy alliance between politics, corporations and every country’s elite class is a horrid danger to the masses of the world.
Beware, people.
the calvin klein one is a good suggestion! What about I, Robot? “Nice shoes”…(now show full screen picture of Converse)
Also Swordfish, i seem to remember absolutely blatant Heineken advertising (open up fridge and focus on the Heineken) – i tell you, that was so much like an ad. Oops better get back to work. Damn you listverse, damn you to heck (tate?)
McDonalds in “The Fifth Element.” Disgusting.
The Wayne’s World bit is right here:
As well one for me was the fact that Chevrolet was the main supplier for all the Autobots in Transformers. They had commercials as well… Not to mention the fact that Bumblebee was originally a VW Bug.
I cannot believe I Robot as a film has been left out. There are numerous blatent product placements in that, possibly topped by converse shoes. Will Smith pulls them out the box and starts talking to his mum about how great they are. The Audi was also quite obvious.
Seriously, no “Mac and Me”?
or
“The Wizard”?
Mac and Me should be on this list. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdvO0tmNjGo
What about Species 2? In the beginning of the movie the back portion of the spaceship going to Mars is covered with corporate logos. That was probably one of the most blatant uses of product placement in a movie. It seemed like the director wanted to get all of the product endorsements out at the same time. Every time I see this scene I chuckle thinking that an alien would fly by, see the logos, and then be compelled to stop by Earth for a Pepsi.
T
I knew everyone would come through in spades with movies I had forgotten or had not seen. I might have to expand this to a top 20 or 30 list.
Here’s one I totally forgot that should be in the top 10- Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle. I mean the product is in the movie title, for goodness sake!
Keep ‘em coming.
The worst word I found in internet is the word “BUY”.
dc: I loved the movie The Wizard when I was a kid. Although if you mean the product placement in that movie being Nintendo…I don’t think that would really count considering it was pretty integral to the whole movie. Unless you think they should have made up a whole video game system for the movie.
You forgot white castle, from harold and kumar go to white castle. :0)
Cheerios in Superman (1978 version, the classic). You may not recall it immediately, but it happens when young clark kent is contemplating leaving early in the morning(before dawn) while still on his parents farm. His mother goes into the kitchen, where nothing is illuminated except for one pool of light over the kitchen table, into which she places a large box of…Cheerios! The only thing seen! Look kids, Superman eats Cheerios and so should you!!!
I’ve always loved that one.
In Europe Taco Bell was replaced by Pizza Hut as the only restaurant in Demolition Man.
Sorry Randy, but ET did not start it all.
The Spielberg classic was released in 1982. Kubrick’s 2001 (released 1968) has Dr. Floyd flying to the moon on a PanAm Space craft, calling home on an AT&T and eating at Howard Johnsons (there may have been more placements, but I remember these).
This is not to minimize Lyrebyrd’s comments (both were Oscar winners), but I think that Kubrick was much more deliberate.
What about The Italian Job and its remake? What other car has not one but two feature-length movies that do little but show off the car?
I’m glad someone mentioned Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle! It was the first movie I thought of when I read this list! Great list by the way, I never noticed some of these product placements, saw Independence Day soooo many times and never once noticed the brand of computer that was used to save the day.
I’d like to echo “I, Robot.”
“Vintage 2005!”
What about the scene in Wayne’s World when they talk about selling out to sponsors while he’s eating pizza hut and doritos, drinking pepsi, wearing Reebok, and taking Nuprin for his headache? That’s the most in your face product placement i’ve ever seen.
how bout fat bastard in austin powers singing the chilis baby back ribs song?
Head And Shoulders on Evolution, the whole ending of the movie is basically a Head And Shoulders advertisement. Or Sony in Casino Royale although it wasn’t too much in your face I guess, but I couldn’t help but cringe when Bond watched a surveillance tape on BluRay.
++ on the Evolution bit. It was a great movie till the end, when the whole damn thing became a giant ad for Head and Shoulders.
Awesome list, I thought Reese’s Pieces would be number one, it’s the only product placement I could think from a film when I saw the list title!
A minor nit pick: It’s Cary Elwes, not Carey.
What is there no Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle?
Seriously? What the hell?
Listverse failed me again!
Just things. When Demolition Man was shown in Thailand, it didn’t have any Taco Bell. The Subtitle and the dub use Pizza Hut instead, as it’s the only franchise outside McDonald that makes any sense, despite the logo being Taco Bell.
Awful, awful movie – Antitrust. The Pepsi product placement is so ridiculous, it’s blinding. Characters racing down empty, dim hallways, to come face to face with a glowing, fluorescent Pepsi machine.
Or what about all the Red Bull(*****) in Snakes On A Plane?
In the movie “Gone in 60 Seconds”, they promte ’65 Mustang shelby. I have no complain about it.
Wayne’s World should be top 5 at least. Where else do they so blatently point out that they are doing product placements?
One of the best uses of product placement in movies is the recent Transformers movie. They made GM cars look HOT! Not an easy thing to do imo.
My recent favorite was the complete commercial for Applebees just placed whole into Talledega Nights.
What about the Air Forces endorsement of “Top Gun” ? I remember seeing somewhere where they wanted the Marines to endorse “Hamburger Hill” but they declined.
What about Josie and the Pussycats? I seem to remember a LOT of blatant product placement.
Me and my friends have a drinking game for Josie and the Pussycats. Every time there is an obvious product placement you take a drink. No one has ever made it all the way through the movie.
What about “Kung Pow! Enter the Fist!”? I remember them singing very loudly, “Taco Bell! Taco Bell! Product placement Taco Bell. Enchirito. NACHO BURRITO!” And in the deleted scenes the bad guy gives a bag of Taco Bell to the Evil Council.
Also, to fivestring63, “Top Gun” is a Navy movie. The Navy let them use their planes with a real Top Gun pilot flying them. The Air Force hated it. However, the Air Force played a HUGE part in “Transformers” (notice that none of the planes are CGI). Speaking of which, “Transformers” was the longest GMC commercial of all time.
the recent spate of “spoof” movies (Epic Movie, Scary Movie series, etc.) are full of product placements.