Intrusive product placements

[Amor de Cosmos]

A disproportionate number of 'good guys' (usually cops, but not always) in almost every European crime show drive Volvos. Not just Scandi dramas either (in Sweden even the crooks drive them) but Germany, Netherlands, UK, and Ireland too. There's clearly cash changing hands. I mean I drive a Volvo, but if I was 20-40 years-old I likely wouldn't, especially if I had to chase bad guys and impress young female co-stars.

Any other noticeable in-story inducements?

[treibeis]

What sort of German crime films are you watching? Charlie Hubner in Polizeiruf 110 drives a Volvo, but none of the rest of them do.

Or are Volvo paying you to do their advertising for them? "Look, I've mentioned you, twice. Give me a pair of orangey shoes!"

[San Bernardhinault]

Cars (or probably more accurately, SUVs and pick-up trucks) are glaringly obvious in lots of US TV. And it gets to the point where it’s not subliminal. You’ll end up thinking “Fuck me, they’re showing a lot of that F-150 pulling something out of the mud then driving over some hilly terrain” when you go straight into an advert break that starts with a Ford truck ad. They’re not even trying to subtly influence the viewer. They’re bludgeoning us over the head.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Or are Volvo paying you to do their advertising for them? "Look, I've mentioned you, twice. Give me a pair of orangey shoes!"

Damn caught in the act, and I didn't even make it past the first post! They'd promised me a new roof rack if I could crack OTF's eagle-eyed censorship bureau too.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

I tried to watch 'I Robot' this evening, but the gratuitous placement of Converse and Audi in the first 20 minutes made me switch it off. That, and the fact that it was shit.

[My Name Is Ian]

I'm pretty sure that Ford had a deal with LWT for The Professionals to supply free cars, but since they were being used in the shows and no money was changing hands, it was presumably considered acceptable at the time. Under the regs of the late 1970s, though, they'd have got torn to pieces by the regulators of the time if any money had changed hands, so if it did, it would have had to be under the counter.

Netflix isn't regulated by Ofcom, and I see it more there than anyone else I can think of, unless you count Sky's relentless cross-platform promotion. I won't link to that story from last weekend's Soccer Saturday, and their reaction to a very late goal somewhere, which tied in with some guy losing a ?250,000 bet on their fucking betting platform. That looked like free advertising, to me.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Slightly different example but I was on a residential course once with (amongst others) a couple of people from an "outdoor clothing" chain (I know, but you know what I mean) and I innocently suggested they get their jackets on TV news reporters like Berghaus and The North Face do and their response of "oh believe us we've tried" was pained.

[ursus arctos]

USian automotive manufacturers have had deals to supply motors for popular productions (especially cop shows) since the 60s, if not earlier

They show up in the credits

[Gangster Octopus]

I'm pretty sure that Ford had a deal with LWT for The Professionals to supply free cars, but since they were being used in the shows and no money was changing hands, it was presumably considered acceptable at the time.

I'm sure that no-longer-poster Taylor mentioned this sometime back. Apparently the programme's first series used British Leyland (or whatever they were called that week), but they wouldn't provide free cars for the next series, so Ford jumped in.

[Ginger Yellow]

I'm generally pretty oblivious to product placement. Unless they literally shove the logos in your face, or, worse, put it into the dialogue like the crappier recent Bond films, I just don't notice it.

[Sporting]

I'm generally pretty oblivious to product placement. Unless they literally shove the logos in your face, or, worse, put it into the dialogue like the crappier recent Bond films, I just don't notice it.

Nor do I, especially with cars, most of which look exactly the same to me in any case.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Nor do I, especially with cars, most of which look exactly the same to me in any case.

---

Cars are among the easiest to spot, because they're large, likely to appear frequently, and — in many cases — the name doesn't have to be visually underlined.

[ursus arctos]

I think that North American cars are also easier to spot.

Not only did marques try to differentiate their products more than in Europe, the broader product range here meant that a show that only featured Fords (for example) "felt" more artificial than a French procedural in which everyone was in a Peugeot.

[Ginger Yellow]

That's still dependent on knowing what they are in the first place. I just watched Gran Torino and didn't cotton on to it being a Ford until halfway through the movie. I had no idea it was even named after a car until about three hours ago.

[Amor de Cosmos]

I think that North American cars are also easier to spot.

Not only did marques try to differentiate their products more than in Europe, the broader product range here meant that a show that only featured Fords (for example) "felt" more artificial than a French procedural in which everyone was in a Peugeot.

As GY indicates there's probably no universal here. I'm fairly familiar with badges and grilles as design elements, which is why Volvos are very easy to spot, but so are Pontiacs.

[Benjm]

I'm generally pretty oblivious to product placement. Unless they literally shove the logos in your face, or, worse, put it into the dialogue like the crappier recent Bond films, I just don't notice it.

The watch conversation in Casino Royale was toe curlingly embarrassing.

[Sits]

We get Grand Designs New Zealand as well as the original and Australian versions. It is a more enjoyable experience than either of the others, due to almost entirely stunning locations and a warm, generous host in Chris Moller. One quibble: each series Moller gets a brand new Range Rover, and we get a lot of close-ups, clearly showing us the car and what it can do.

[Belhaven]

I always notice when they use Apple computers in films, but never other brands

[Guy Profumo]

A disproportionate number of 'good guys' (usually cops, but not always) in almost every European crime show drive Volvos. Not just Scandi dramas either (in Sweden even the crooks drive them) but Germany, Netherlands, UK, and Ireland too. There's clearly cash changing hands. I mean I drive a Volvo, but if I was 20-40 years-old I likely wouldn't, especially if I had to chase bad guys and impress young female co-stars.

Any other noticeable in-story inducements?

Simon Templar drove a Volvo.

You can't tell me that wasn't a stylish babe-magnet, as I believe the common vernacular had it.

And chased (and raced) bad guys in it.





(Didn't Van der Valk drive an Opel?)

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

Come to think of it - Hinterland was an extended Volvo ad.

[Jah Womble]

Tons of product placement in shows like Seinfeld. One episode, of course, centred around US candy Junior Mints: so delighted were they with all this free advertising, the company (James O Welch) even launched a limited edition of the product to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the show.

(I'm with Sporting on the 'car' ticket. They could be driving any old sh*t as far as I'm concerned.)

[Sporting]

I mean, if I see a Volvo badge I know it's a Volvo. Otherwise, it's a box on top of four wheels unless it's a mini or something.

[pebblethefish]

The only time I can remember Volvos in a film (or on TV) was the Dudley Moore classic Crazy People, where they were advertised with the slogan "They're boxy, but they're good"

Otherwise, count me in amongst the "never notice cars" brigade. Mainly because I don't drive. If there's ever a scene in a pub I always check the beer pumps to see what real ales they have on, because that interests me.

[Sporting]

The only time I can remember Volvos in a film (or on TV) was the Dudley Moore classic Crazy People, where they were advertised with the slogan "They're boxy, but they're good"

Otherwise, count me in amongst the "never notice cars" brigade. Mainly because I don't drive. If there's ever a scene in a pub I always check the beer pumps to see what real ales they have on, because that interests me.

What beer was on tap in the Rovers Return?

[pebblethefish]

Not that I ever watched it, but I still remember that the brewers were Newton & Ridley.

On a tangent, it really annoys me when people on TV ask for a pint of lager. I know it's so that they don't advertise anything, but anyone doing that in real life would have the likes of me or EIM behind the bar going "Which fucking lager?? We've made the effort of having four different lagers on tap, so for fucks sake pick one! Unless you think I'm clairvoyant?"