The Blind Side

The Blind Side















        In the movie The Blind Side released in 2009, the use of adveritisements is very explicit. It 

ranges from food brands to different universities across the USA. Lately the use of product placement in movies is an element that has become very common, and espectators are getting so used to it that soemtimes it remains unnoticed. The movie The Blind Side is based in a true story about Michael Oher a big homeless boy who looks agressive because of his size, but when Leigh Anne Tuohy played by Sandra Bullock ets to know him she realizes that Michael is just a normal boy with amazing protective instincts and with a suffered backgorund. 





Most of the times it is worth it for companies to invest paying a high price to get the chance to participate in one or more scenes of a movie. According to the article Are you persuaded by product placement? by Amanda Cupido: "Every day we make choices. We may not know why we choose one brand over another, but we know which ones we prefer. This preference can be attributed to product placement, which can be found in almost every medium including movies, TV shows and video games. These products have a way of invading our subconscious mind." Which is very reliable, because it is part of a social validation nowadays that if something is on TV and it is famous, people will want to buy it. 


Particularly in this movie, there is a lot of product placement, that vary from Pepsi Cups at a Volleyball game, car brands such as Ford and BMW, and the most noticible ones are Under Armour and several universities names such as University of Teneesee, Ole Miss and others. Under Armour was definitelly the most sucessfull product. Most of the scenes in the movie seemed to have had some type of Under Armour logo. Which makes a lot of sense since the movie is related to football and Under Armour is a sports brand. 



The company did a great job by investing in this movie, because it was in their interest and the film was relatively successful. As I watched the movie I tried to count the amount of product placement and it was obvious that Under Armour was the most advertised brand. It made me think that if the spectator put the movie on mute  some scenes could often be mistaken or used as a Under Armour commercial. The movies has a lot of product placement, there was no overuse and it was  totally recommend the movie, besides doing a great job with product placement, it also teaches a good story that can motivate anyone to work hard.

Works Cited

Cupido, Amanda. "Life." Communities. N.p., 25 Sept. 2012. Web. 05 Oct. 2012. <http://www.lfpress.com/2012/09/21/are-you-persuaded-by-product-placement>.

Thousand Words for the Starbucks

Thousand Words is a new comedy played by Eddy Murphy. He is playing Jack McCall who is self-centered book agent that is trying to close a deal with spiritual leader (Cliff Curtis). The movie is a comedy with a simple plot, but there is an emphasis on the product placement. In the movie, Starbucks is depicted several times. According to Martin Smith, brand-name products and logos realistically reflect the landscape of everyday American life (2). The use of the Starbucks products helps to connect the audience with the movie. There are three depicted scenes in the movie that are advertising the Starbucks coffee.

In the first three minutes of the movie, there is already big depiction of the Starbucks. Jack is entering a Starbucks coffee shop and tries to get coffee, but the line is too long. However, he decides to cut the line by pretending that he is on the phone and he just got a message that his wife is about to deliver their babies twins. So, everyone in the line gets sympathetic with him and Jack gets his coffee without waiting in the line. Also, he gets the Starbucks coffee for free and leaves the coffee shop with the popular Starbucks cup. In my opinion, that scene was not very important for the plot of the movie. Moreover, it was a commercial for the Starbucks. This scene was a product placement of Starbucks coffee in the movie. It also represents that Starbucks, in reality, is a morning dose of caffeine for lot of people, depicted with that long line.

Next big product placement is when Jack is in therapy with his psychologists. He is sitting on a couch and he has a Starbucks coffee cup that he got earlier. There is an extended close-up of the green siren logo of the Starbucks while he is holding the cup, He tries the coffee and says, “This coffee is incredible!” this is another example of a product placement in the movie. Not only that there is a logo close up, but having a main character note that he is drinking incredible, tasty and very good Starbucks coffee is an advertising for the coffee shop; it reminds the audience why they love the Starbucks.

Later in the movie, there is another scene that takes place in the Starbucks. Jack is trying to order the coffee, again, so he is talking with the employee. Since Jack cannot talk, he is trying, in Eddy Murphy comedy acting, to explain to the employee what he wants. Of course, there is funny misunderstanding, so it turns out that Jack ordered three lattes, three mocha, three espressos, double chocolate chip muffin and Paul McCartney CD. In my opinion, this is again a commercial for the Starbucks. It remind the audience what are the most popular beverages in Starbucks, but also there are other items that can be purchased, like original audio CD, etc.

Over all, according to Bob Leeper, there is estimated ten to fifteen minutes in the movie that is dedicated to the Starbucks company; either movie is taking place in the coffee shop or the characters are holding the famous Starbucks coffee cup with the logo (4). Even though the product placement is obvious, I think that is not distorting the plot of the movie. Moreover, it helps the audience to connect to the characters and situations that they are in. 

My rating is 

References

Leeper, Bob “Review: Thousand words – or less.” Nerdvana. East Valley Tribune. March 9, 2012. Web. Oct 4, 2012.

Martin J. Smith: The Orange County Register. "ADVERTISING Name-Brand Props in the Movies Consumer Group Wants Labels to Signify Product Placement: MORNING Edition." Orange County Register: e.01. Print. 1991.

Iron Man

Iron Man is a film that was met warmly by critics and received high ratings on websites like Rotten Tomatoes and Roger Ebert’s online review site. I recently wrote a blog about Iron Man 2 and its use of special effects, and here I will be examining the advertising in the first film of the franchise. I believe it is safe to say that this method worked in two distinctly different ways: It helped companies advertise and it helped the movie build credibility.

In the beginning of the movie, Tony Stark is captured by terrorists in Afghanistan and forced to make an atomic bomb. He is held hostage for three months before he manages to escape, and returns to the United States. Upon arrival, one of the first things out of his mouth is, “I want an American cheeseburger.” Several minutes later, he is seen taking food out of a Burger King bag held by his bodyguard. This effectively brands into the heads of viewers the metaphorical slogan, “Here’s what’s American: Iron Man and Burger King.” This is the most blatant example of advertising in the movie, however it isn’t as flattering as Johns Hopkins University Professor of media studies Mark Miller claims most product placements are: “In most [placements], the product appears like the full moon, the label always facing the camera.” The Burger King logo is hardly noticeable in the shot and does not distract from the scene.

Whether he is driving to get coffee or on his way to a weapons contract convention, Stark is always seen in an Audi. This was a well-formulated decision made by the car manufacturer because who doesn’t want to be a genius billionaire superhero? In the same way that Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz’s “Everything’s an Argument” claims that people who have qualities that we desire have an advantage in getting a job or raise, it also makes audiences strive to be like them and thus, have the same things as them.

In the same way that advertising companies and products in the movie helps said companies, it also supports the plot of the movie and Tony Stark’s character. Stark embraces the playboy persona that he was so famous for in the original comic books. This is by scattering “high-profile” and name brand products meticulously throughout the story. Clearly a car junkie, Stark is constantly surrounded by the most luxurious of automobiles. And, surprisingly, they are not all Audis. Whether it is a Rolls-Royce picking him up from the airport or the random Ferrari purring in the background of a scene, these fine vehicles help him maintain playboy status. Also helping him maintain this look this are his watches; He is constantly shown wearing a Bulgari.

The third and final way in which product advertising helps the movie is with logos. During a scene where the television is left on, Jim Cramer is shown bashing Stark Industries’ stock on Mad Money. Hiring Cramer to make a realistic episode of an actual TV show helps create a more realistic world, which is cited by Miller as the main argument for companies to advertise in movies.

In “Everything’s an Argument,” identifying the target audience is one of the most important elements when presenting an argument. There is a substantial amount of cars and guns in this movie. The producers of Iron Man realized that the film would attract a relatively even ratio of men and women, and adjusted the product placement accordingly. This is most noticeable in the scene where Stark is late to the airport and excuses himself by saying, “I got caught doing a piece for Vanity Fair.” A magazine comprised of mainly pop culture and fashion, Vanity Fair was an excellent choice in advertising for keeping the female audience interested and emotionally invested in a realistic setting.

Despite a much lower budget than its successor and thus much less product placement, Iron Man still used advertising to its advantage. Because the director, Jon Favreau, was limited financially, product placement had to be done with a “quality over quantity” state of mind, an approach I believe worked fairly effectively. 

Rating: 3/5

Liar Liar

Product placement occurs in most movies today; some more subtle than others. There’s quite a bit of controversy surrounding the topic, however. In article written by Martin J. Smith discussing this topic, both sides of the argument are addressed. On one side the advertisers say ‘brand-name products and logos realistically reflect the landscape of everyday American life…” and also bring up that point that product placement offsets the cost of movie tickets making it cheaper to see them (Smith 2). Critics of product placement however, don’t agree with this reasoning.  They argue that, “In most [movies], the product appears like the full moon, the label always facing the camera.  They hover there in an almost beautiful way…”(Smith, 2).  I’ve never paid much attention to product placement in movies, but now that it’s been brought to my attention I’ll be looking for it more. One movie that I decided to analyze for product placement was Liar Liar, starring Jim Carey. It’s been my favorite movie for a while and I was interested to see how many advertisements were woven into the film. It was hard to spot product placement in this movie because it was more subtle. I noticed some major product placement in addition to some minor, less noticeable products. The major companies advertised were the airline Tower Air and the car company Mercedes Benz.  The last scenario of the movie involves Jim Carey racing to the airport to stop his ex-wife from moving to Boston with their son. The Tower Air plane is shown several times. At one point, it is shown for as long as five seconds just running on the runway. The argument for this ad is hard to pin on just one reason. This movie is a comedy so it reaches a wider audience. It also stars Jim Carey in his prime so that’s another reason in itself for people to want to see this movie. Tower Air gets a lot of air time so even if they’re not trying to make an argument of sorts, they’re getting their name out to a large number of people. This part of the movie is very sentimental though so having their name associated with a good, family moment could only bring positive attention.

 The other major company shown throughout the movie and even in the trailer is Mercedes Benz. In this movie Jim Carey’s character is a defense attorney about to make partner. That’s a very high status job that’s often associated with wealth and success. He drives a Mercedes Benz and the front of the car with the Benz logo is always showing. Personally, I think it’s done very tastefully, not too over the top; but some critic thought it was done poorly. The argument for this product placement is pretty obvious though. Mercedes wants their car to be associated with someone successful and wealthy. Also, as with Tower Air, this was a very popular movie so even if their argument wasn’t clear, their logo has been exposed to a wide number of people.

The image of this movie isn’t really affected by these ads because they’re not blatantly obvious except for one incidence with Tower Air. They don’t take away from the plot or storyline and are very appropriate for the movie. It would be unrealistic for the airplane to just say “Airline” as opposed to an actual airline people have heard of. Using real company names make the movie seem more real and believable. 

Friends with Benefits

The movie, Friends with Benefits (2011), is a romantic comedy starring Justin Timberlake, as Dylan, and Mila Kunis, as Jamie. The movie is full of product placement. There are constant images of Sony electronic appliances, which include the Sony Experia cell phones, Sony TVs, and Vaio laptops. The couple also plays a game on the Sony Playstation.

I find it interesting that, although Sony plays a large part in the movie, Apple still managed to appear in the movie at perhaps the most pivotal moment of its plot. When Jamie and Dylan swear to each other that they will refrain from forming emotional attachment while having casual sex, they pause for a few moments to place their hands on an iPad, with the Bible app open, instead of a traditional Bible. It is interesting that Apple is such a large company that it can squeeze its way into a movie largely sponsored by one of its biggest competitors, especially in a scene that is so crucial to the movie. Perhaps this happened because Apple’s products have a good reputation; therefore, featuring the iPad in the movie will help add to its ethos.

As Louis Giannetti says in his book, Understanding Movies, “some filmmakers have the ability to get us swept up by a character’s values even when we don’t hold them in actuality” (406). In other words, when the audience sees their favorite actors using a Sony phone or and Apple iPad in a movie, they are likely to also like the products. The viewer can develop an appreciation for the products they see in the movies they watch because there is a pre-established credibility due to the actor’s fame or reputation for being well-liked and “cool”.

Apple’s monopolistic sneakiness aside, I want to further explore GQ’s product placement in the movie. GQ, also known as Gentlemen’s Quarterly, is a men’s magazine that focuses on food, movies, fitness, and most of all, sex. The covers of GQ usually feature women dressed in little-to-no clothing or a handsome male sporting a stylish get-up. In Friends with Benefits, Dylan accepts a job in New York City at GQ after Jamie, his headhunter, takes him around the city to convince him to take the offer. The GQ logo is featured throughout the film on numerous occasions. The most entertaining use of the logo is when Dylan creates an advertisement for GQ by using video footage of a New York City flash mob.

The entire plot revolves around Dylan’s job at the magazine, which is what makes GQ’s product placement stand out the most to me in the film. The flash mob scene is one of the most famous and memorable scenes in Friends with Benefits, and when the GQ ad repeats this scene in the advertisement, it makes the logo memorable to the audience. It was almost an actual advertisement for GQ in the movie – I thought it was very tastefully done and clever. Somehow, because the company is so engrained in the plot of the movie, the product placement was less obvious and distracting than that of Apple and Sony, which seemed to disrupt many of the scenes.

Product placement in films is very important because it creates substantial revenue for the production and ultimate success of the movie. It is important to remember “audiences pay attention to ethos and to the values that it represents. Before we accept the words (or image) of others, we must usually respect their authority […] or at least acknowledge what they stand for” (Lunsford 56). Therefore, if a movie is going to include product placement, they need to make sure that the company’s image matches the image that they are also trying to portray. In Friends with Benefits, I think the sexual image of GQ matched the plot, which was about two friends that share a sexual relationship. Lunsford also notes that when watching product placement in a film, audiences are “making an argument based on the character of the company” (53). The companies featured can help make or break the movie’s ultimate credibility.

Rating: 4/5

Author: Juan Carlos Alonso
Class: Writing as an Argument
Instructor: Ms. Waggoner
Date: October 4, 2012

Blog 4

Casino Royale

James Bond has always been known to play with cool toys and in his recent film Casino Royale, Film makers did not disappoint with the strategic product placement of several items that we will discuss. The James Bonds of the past were notorious for making different marketable items sexy, as the actors who promoted such labels typically did so in a fashionable manor. Take for example the Omega Watch that James Bond sports in the film. The character makes the watch appear to be cool and superior to Rolex in its portrayal in Casino Royale. 

In a similar fashion Sony made an enormous debut in the film, as it was one of the major contributors to the film. Whereas, whenever a electronic device is shown in the film the audience is reminded that Sony created that product. We see this in the film when all characters in the film use Sony Ericsson phones, every television set is made by Sony, as well as all computers in the film are made by Sony. 

But what type of James Bond movie would Casino Royale be if the Ashton Martin was left out. Well don’t worry, its not. And in the film this incredible car is shown flying through the streets in Monaco with all the cool gadgets and emergency medical care packed in that one can imagine. 

However, the big question people raise is “What is the cost to put these big name brands in your film?” To answer that question we will look to Martin Smith of the Orange County Register in his Article, Name Brand Props in movies; Consumer group wants labels to signify product placement. According to Smith, “I've offered close to $ 4 million in placements to studios in this town in the past 18 months, and I'm batting about one for three," Cohen said.  "Studios just don't think of it as a major profit center.  An average $ 28 million movie with $ 12 million marketing budget isn't going to be stopped by lack of a $ 25,000 placement” (Smith. 5). In the text above Smith states that studios now are less incentivized to add product placement in their films, however after watching Casino Royale, I starkly disagree with Mr. Smith. As it is evident through the images shown and the money spent to incorporate different labels within this film. 

To further illustrate my point that the relationships between the filmmakers of Casino Royale, and the Omega, Sony, and Ashton Martin, lets take at look at what Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz say in their book, Everything’s an Argument. According to Lunsford and Ruszkiewicz, “You may find that the best way to illustrate a casual relationship is to present it visually” (Lunsford. 354). As described in the text and demonstrated within the film the relationships between the filmmakers and corporations marketing their product is best illustrated visually, whereas Casino Royale did an incredible job subtly incorporating this relationship. 

Rating:

Sources:

Forbes. Forbes Magazine, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2012. <http://www.forbes.com/2006/11/16/bond-movie-advertising-tech-media-cx_lr_1116bond.html>.

"The Worst Movie Product Placements Of All Time." WhatCulture! N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2012. <http://whatculture.com/film/the-worst-movie-product-placements-of-all-time.php>.

Advertising or Film

 

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer is a 2007 American superhero film, and the sequel to the 2005 film Fantastic Four. Both films are based on the Fantastic Four comic book and were directed by Tim Story. I love this film, because of the fantastic story and the four main characters’ super power. Also I am a big fan on superhero movies. The only fly in the ointment is that too much product placement, and zoom in the products.

 

There are some advantage and disadvantage using Sponsorships’ products on the film. When people see some product on the film they may feel that the story is in real life, like Martin J. Smith said: “brand-name products and logos realistically reflect the landscape of everyday American life.  A generic can labeled "BEER" is more jarring to a viewer than a recognizable label.” In this condition, the product will leave audience a deep impression, which succeeds in advertising. The audience was imperceptibly influenced by the condition. For example the Dos Equis, a beer brand, in the bar, every one drink Dos Equis which is unusual, but I was influenced by this kind of advertising, According to everything’s an argument “In the absence of hard facts, claims may be supported with other kinds of compelling reasons” I may start to think about the reason why so many people like Dos Equis? May be I will try it next time.

The second big Sponsorship probably the Dell company, because since beginning of the film all of the computers are Dell, When the main character Reed Richards want to show some scientific data to his team, the camera always zoom in the Dell label in the bottom first and then turn the camera to the image on monitor, which confused me feel that the people live in that world only use dell computers or Dell company is the appointed by government to discover the software to track aliens.

 

Finally, in our daily life, cars are the most common vehicle, so the Benz and Dodge invest in this film and show their most advanced technology. These companies are gather benefits by doing so. For instance, Benz Company advertise their recent products BENZ SLR 722 AMG which is a black coupe with a new-generation 302-hp 3.5-liter V-8 combines numerous advances to deliver more torque over a wider range of rpm. From 0 to 100 km/h only take 3.5s.(Benz official website) In addition, everybody knows that Dodge is a car company but in this movie they put their engine on an aero craft and the aircraft fly from New York to Russian only take few minutes. I believe the reason the director choose these two companies is the powerful engine like the fire man on the film, which made people feel passionate and excited.

       To sum up, I believe fantastic 4 is a great movie, I enjoy watching it. However, the advertisements on this film are overload; people may feel board with so much repetitive advertising.