Product placement isn’t a new concept, it’s been around for a while. In the past few years product placement has played a huge role in most summer blockbusters: Tony Stark wants to go to Burger King in Iron Man, Transformers features GM cars, and you can’t get through a James Bond film without a myriad of products being dangled in front of the viewers.

But does it work? It seems so: Subway saw a huge boost in sales when NBC partnered the fast food chain on their show Chuck.

The trick for marketers is to figure out how to introduce these products without making it feel like a forced placement. You don’t want the customer to feel taken aback by the placement, and audiences don’t react well when it feels forced. The pitch could have the opposite effect on sales when done poorly, and there’s some really good research documenting bad placement.

Here’s a clip from Hawaii Five-0 featuring a placement for Bing. Does it feel organic or forced?

I don’t think “Bing It” has a chance to replace “Google It,” and that is what makes this one feel forced.

Think Nike in Back to the Future II: people loved the shoe so much, Nike actually released a working version last year!

If I asked you what E.T.’s favorite candy was, would you know? Or which company did Tom Hank’s character work for in the movie Cast Away?

Where have you seen some of your favorite brands on the big or small screen?

Thomas Broadus
Director of Interactive & New Media