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Bad enough that all movies have about 15 minutes of commercials before the previews even start, but what about shameless product promotions in the films themselves?

I recall watching Terminator 2 that pretty much everywhere in the film, people were eating out of Subway Wrappers and drinking Pepsi. In the 3rd Highlander movie, the lightning bolts are striking McCloud through a table full of Mountain Dew cans.

The obvious one is Taco Bell in Demolition Man. and Wayne's World, with the Pizza Hut, Reebok and Pepsi and Advil ads.

I can't recall which James Bond movie it is (I think it was Moonraker) where he passed several billboards in his car about every 5 seconds and the camera had to stop on each one for the full effect.

Anyone else?

The Coca-Cola sign in Superman II that Supes gets knocked into.

Minority Report had plenty of them everytime Tom Cruise's eyes were scanned.

Also, VIctoria's Secret had that huge billboard in T3 Rise of the Machines resulting in that humorous scene.

>>The Coca-Cola sign in Superman II that Supes gets knocked into.<<

Kneel before ZOD!

Hee Hee Hee

http://www.generalzod.net/

The worst I've ever seen wasn't in a movie, but a TV show.  If you saw the reality show "The Restaurant" this past fall, the ad placement was extemely obvious and bad.

It was obviously sponsored by AMEX and Coors, which gratuitously show their logo in the start of the show.  Then, in every episode, the head chef, Rocco DiSpirito, would make mention on how they needed to get more Coors or extend their credit line on the small business AMEX card.

Aha - and this also reminds me that everyone in that movie smoked Marlboro Reds. Supes gets thrown into a truck of theirs.

The only fun I had watching the terrible Inspector Gadget film, was laughing at all the painfully obvious product placements.  I can remember McDonald's, and Yahoo, and Skittles, but I think there were close to 10, altogether.

In one of Bill Cosby's flop movies (I think it might have been LEONARD PART 6), he is sitting on a sofa holding a can of Coke.  He holds the can prominantly so that the camera has a good, long view of it.

Many of Herschell Gordon Lewis' movies show people eating Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Colonel Sanders even shows up in one of his movies!

In the Addams Family movie when the kids were selling lemonade there was a huge Tombstone pizza billboard ad in the background.

In the Addams Family movie when the kids were selling lemonade there was a huge Tombstone pizza billboard ad in the background.

That at least fits in with the dark humour of the Addams family

I've always enjoyed the Dr. Pepper placements in STUDENT BODIES.  Mostly, becuase it is not what you would call a quality film and the product placements are really obvious.  Who thought up this idea?

Speaking of Dr. Pepper. Forrest Gump does a pretty good job of promoting it.

How many was it that he drank?

14?

Underworld & Bacardi rum.

Spider-Man & X-Men 2  & Dr Pepper.

Pieces does a pretty good job of ramming Wendy's down your throat in the last act, when all the detectives are discussing the murders and there are wrappers and cups strewn all over the room.

Brother R

>Speaking of Dr. Pepper.

How about Godzilla 1985? Pretty much every scene showing Raymond Bur in the military HQ had a Dr. Pepper machine in the background. I actually expected Godzilla to pick up a giant bottle and take a swig!

Baby Ruth's stunning appearance in Caddyshack

not really shameless tho..



Post Edited (11-11-03 20:41)

Return of the killer tomato's...the big advertisement scene, ha ha.

I always thought that little walking turd and his Reeces Pieces was the most gratuitous of all.

Susan - Given the context, I somehow doubt that Baby Ruth sanctioned or paid for the appearance of their candy bar in Caddyshack :)

Actually, I don't mind product placement so much.  People in the real world are surrounded by corporate logos.  Looking around my kitchen, I see six.  I'd rather see someone in a movie crack a Coors or a Budweiser than a generic-looking blue can with "BEER" in big white letters.  However, I do respect Tarantino for taking the time to make up some brand names (such as Red Apple cigarettes) and use other brand names that don't exist any more (like the cereal Eric Stoltz was eating in Pulp Fiction).

there's product placement in every film, its just a matter of how it is used, such as subway in happy gilmore.  

i remember that in final fantasy in the first scene in new york there is a big pespi sign that gets lit up by the flare that aki shoots in the sky, the camera lingers on it for a second too long.  that and one character is drinking a can that i think was meant to be pepsi

we had a tv show here downunder called "the block" it was a renovating reality show, yet all the contestants ate a certain brand of food, used a certain specific brand of power tool and bought most of their furniture from a certain store.  it was the most shameless product placement, that was forced down your throat at every opportune moment.  very frustrating [thank god i didn't watch it often, i would have had to add a few names to my 'to kill' list]

>>Susan - Given the context, I somehow doubt that Baby Ruth sanctioned or paid for the appearance of their candy bar in Caddyshack :)<<

Wouldn't they have to for that kind of scene? lol

Has anyone mentioned "Mission to Mars"? As Liz pointed out, not only they put M&Ms on it, they also made them one of the most important plot points in the movie.

Ah yes, Mission to Mars, where a DNA molecule made of M&Ms provides a vital clue. We also can't forget the way they located the hull breach with Dr. Pepper.

Mac and Me was probably one of the more shameless product pushing movies. Had Ronald McDonald right in it.

Ever notice that almost everybody in movies seems to be using a Macintosh computer?

The product placement scene in Return of the Killer Tomatoes, mentioned by Dunners, was probably the funiest thing in that movie. Interesting that by making fun of product placement, you can actually make it more effective. You can shove the product right in people's faces and talk about it, and people will actually enjoy it and remember it. Another example would be Little Nicky and Popeye's Chicken.

I do agree that modest product placement does make a movie more realistic. Generic products and unfamiliar brands can be distracting, depending on how they are used. Still, this can also be used to great effect if it suits the movie. All of the generic products in Repo Man really add a nice surreal touch.

Not a product placement, but the scene in Dr. Strangelove where they have to shoot a soda machine in order to get coins for the payphone gave one of the best lines I've ever heard "You're going to have to answer to the Coca-Cola company."

Who'd a thunk coke was that powerful.

Here's a few: Police Story-During the fight in the mall Jackie Chan comandeers a motorcycle and rams it into a thug and then crashes into a glass display case. In the background is a big sign for Mitsubishi.

Wheels On Meals-During a car chase a car comes FLYING over two cars infront of it. It landes does a 180 and stops. An old lady gets out and gripes at the other drivers for being maniacs and how lucky she is to have a great car. Then there's a close up of the car's grill and the Mitsubishi logo is well displayed!

The Fifth Element-The cop car crashing into the GIGANTIC McDonalds truck!


I happen to think product place meant is hilarous I'm all for it being in movies.

> Ever notice that almost everybody in movies seems to be using a
> Macintosh computer?
>

Yes, apparently Apple Computers can interface with alien systems!!!! Thank you Jeff Goldblum.....


> All of the
> generic products in Repo Man really add a nice surreal touch.

As I recall, they couldn't get any companies to sponsor REPO MAN - hence why you saw beer as BEER and chips as CHIPS and so forth.

In Total Recall, Arnold and Sharon Stone fight in front of a Pepsi display.

Neon Noodle wrote:

> As I recall, they couldn't get any companies to sponsor REPO
> MAN - hence why you saw beer as BEER and chips as CHIPS and so
> forth.

The movie is actually better because of it. Nice that instead of trying to hide the lack of real brand names, they chose to play it up. In Repo Man, it really works.

Cast Away...the entire film is a huge f**k-all FedEx commercial!