Its more than just “not skipping”
Product placement is about more than just not skipping the ads. It is about creating an emotional connection to a brand that lasts far beyond the moment that you noticed a product was integrated. Product placement works because of the vivid, emotional environment in which the product appears.
What sunglasses did Tom Cruise wear in Top Gun?
- What was the name (and brand) of the volleyball in the Tom Hanks movie, Cast Away?
- What were the packages opened by Tom Hanks’ character on the beach?
- What car does James Bond drive?
- What shoes does Forest Gump lace up to run in?
These are all examples of famous product placement that far outlived their single integrations. These were woven into the very fabric of the story. There are thousands of examples of product placement in movies like Wayne’s World and TV shows like Billions where the brands are not the story, but they are noticed, memorable, and the draft off the value of the program itself.
Great content inspires a feeling, and great product placement does as well. You have to find the right balance of exposing a brand, but not distracting from the content. If you achieve the correct balance, you can deliver value that far surpasses any interruptive ad. You can create an emotional connection between the audience and your brand and that can pay dividends for many years to come.
Here are some stories and statistics about the best product placement examples:
- It’s reported that Hershey saw a 65% increase in profits during E.T.’s movie run. Similarly, Mini Cooper car manufacturer BMW saw a 22% increase in Mini Cooper sales the year after the heist movie The Italian Job featured a fleet of more than 30 Mini Coopers. Source: https://aofund.org/resource/product-placement-why-it-matters-and-how-get-it/
- The Journal of Management and Marketing Research (JMMR) estimates that “57.5% of [television] viewers recognized a brand in a placement when the brand also was advertised during the show.” Source: https://aofund.org/resource/product-placement-why-it-matters-and-how-get-it/
- Academic detail on the effects of Product Placement: https://foster.uw.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Mummalaneni_Product_placement.pdf
