By David Jenkin

Being seen

There is little doubt that patterns of media consumption have changed over the years. ‘Second screening’ is a recent advent growing in prevalence, in which audiences watch films or televisions with a smartphone in their hands. Their attention is divided and switches from screen to screen. PVR, as well as streaming platforms and video on demand services like Netflix, have also been playing an increasingly significant role in home entertainment.

However, Andy Rice, renowned branding and advertising expert (also former Ogilvy strategist and founder of Yellowwood), challenges the notion that these developments are dooming the conventional television ad break, which he says is still robust. He refers to the Nielsen findings published in 2016 which showed television remains one of the best performing media types in terms of advertising value output.

It’s therefore difficult to say with certainty whether product placement as a technique has increased its reach relative to conventional television ads without further research, but it is safe to say that it remains hugely valuable, providing it is done properly.

The right way

Rice points out that if brands opt for product placement, it must be approached with care. “It should not be noticeable, in one sense,” he says, “If the product placement fits seamlessly into the narrative, and doesn’t jar, I think that works better on a slightly subconscious level than crass, product-in-your-face stuff which is all-too-often what’s required.”
It’s a dichotomy for brand owners, he explains, who need their brands to be seen in the narrative, but “so subtly, and so appropriately, that no one says ‘oh my God, why is that happening’”.

A prime example of effective product placement he cites is Apple. He refers to the era shortly before their heyday, about ten years ago, when the logo became a familiar sight. “You would find that in almost every movie that had some kind of detective or policing component, the hero would have an Apple laptop which at some point would be used to unlock the puzzle.”

It was subtle and elegant, he explains, with a glowing logo placed in such a way that it would be the right way up for the audience rather than the user. “I think that kind of seamless building-in of a brand’s benefits into the narrative is the way that product placement should go.”

Screen Africa quotes Copper Monkey marketing director Charlotte Frost’s remarks at a DISCOP Africa conference on the topic of branded entertainment, about the importance of aligning values. She said, “Brands are looking for a return on investment through sales, advertising and brand awareness and this has to align with the values of a particular production.” She adds that a supporting marketing campaign is also key to driving home the message and delivering successful brand exposure.

A slightly different yet creative approach can be seen in the way Pep Stores was built into the Generations narrative, says Rice. “So Generations is about an ad agency, and by having a plot that involves pitching for a piece of business or whatever, you can make that piece of business a real life product. So they pitch for it, for the Pep business, in the narrative, and it fits in logically. Nobody is thinking ‘well that’s a bit strange’, and yet it’s a real opportunity to talk a lot about the brand.”

The wrong way

Sometimes, in rushing to secure some screen time, brands neglect the all-important context in which the product will appear. As a result, there are numerous examples of a narrative inadvertently framing a brand in a negative way.

The Bond films have long used product placement, especially with vehicles – enough to recover a sizeable portion of the budget before selling a single ticket. However, in 2012, Skyfall included a scene that came across as somewhat condescending toward Volkswagen Beetle.

A.V. Club writes, “It’s a bit weird that Volkswagen would donate a fleet of brand-new Beetles to the production, only so Daniel Craig could bash them off a train car in the film’s breathless opening sequence—a sly commentary that the classically dorky auto is fit to be squashed by a guy better known for driving $200,000 sports cars.”

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Check out this clip from Wayne's World on product placement here.

*Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures