Biting the Hand That Feeds

As the longest running television cartoon The Simpsons have become a staple of American society. What is more American, you may ask, than product placement? Alas the Simpsons have always been relatively impervious to product placement, instead using fake, spoof product names like "Duff" beer and "The Kwik-E Mart". It is interesting that their most commonly recurring product gag is in fact negative, and also aimed at the network that they have been on for the last 22 years. The producers of The Simpsons have been relentlessly taking shots at Fox since before it was cool. I have to wonder if they don't get some backlash from this. Also, it's a bit strange that after all this time they haven't been asked to stop. The practice doesn't exactly reflect lightly on the network. It's all the same to me since I'm not a big fan of Fox to begin with, but I can't help but wonder how the higher-ups at Fox feel about it.

Here is one example that raised some eyebrows, causing Fox to "almost sue" the Simpsons creators (whatever "almost suing" is).

Despite that example, I've been watching The Simpsons for many years and this is certainly not the first, or even the worst, stab taken at Fox. I'm all for it, but that's just me. I guess some people can't take a joke.

They're Selling Men (Hallelujah!)

Embarrassing confession #3 (why am I disclosing so much?!): I’m a Twihard. No excuses here, I simply enjoy Stephenie Meyer's terrible sparkly-vampire romances. Once the movies came out, you know I saw all of them and bought the DVDs and soundtracks (judge me, it's okay, I deserve it). My favorite part of the big screen adaptations is their kick ass soundtracks. Twilight soundtracks have been known to feature huge brands, ahem, bands such as Paramore, Linkin Park, and Death Cab for Cutie, while also catapulting lesser known indie artists into the spotlight such as Muse, Florence + the Machine, and The Black Keys. As I dove into my personal store of Twilight music, I remembered an interesting little tidbit:

Robert Pattinson is an artist featured in the Twilight soundtrack.

Oh hey :) Wait, WHAT?! But, he's not even a singer! This finding seems to me like the product placement Mervett discussed taken to the next level. Not only are we being sold an artist, but we are being sold the main actor in the Twilight series, Robert Pattinson, the man who brought Meyer's Edward Cullen to life. His appearance on the soundtrack only added to the immense exposure already garnered by the Twilight phenomenon: those who bought the soundtrack (165,000 people in the first week it was released) also bought Pattison. No wonder RPatt became an overnight heartthrob for teenage girls everywhere. Even his past work received much more attention than before, as everyone suddenly noticed the actor who played Cedric Diggory, the unfortunate Hufflepuff Triwizard Tournament contestant who died in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Though his legitimacy as a singer may not have been established through the Twilight soundtrack, Pattinson was certainly sold to millions of people, which may be of use to him if he chooses to pursue a career in music post-Twilight. Smart move, RPatt... smart move.

Charitable advertising

In October 2010, after being trapped for over two months underground, the 33 Chilean miners were successfully liberated in a televised rescue mission. There were immediate medical concerns; aside from the almost guaranteed psychological and physical effects of the ordeal, the miners had been living without sunlight for an incredibly long time. In response to medical concerns about light exposure, Oakley donated 33 pairs of sunglasses with “black iridium lenses” to shield the miners’ eyes. Suddenly, the media began discussing the merits of Oakley shades and the scientific benefits of the donated model. This is perhaps the most brilliant move in the era product placement ever. Every time one of the 33 miners surfaced, hundreds of cameras zoomed in on their faces to try and capture the uplifting moment. And what logo was featured prominently on each face? Oakley. Every single photo from the rescue was an Oakley advertisement. And the donated sunglasses generated positive publicity for the company as well. Who knew giving could lead to such tangible rewards?

Can you spot the Oakley logo?

What do Elliott Smith and Matt Damon Have in Common?

My favorite thing about a movie? A soundtrack. Really. The minute a song I recognize (and like!) is featured in a movie, that movie has instantly gained 10 cool points in my book. So when Good Will Hunting played an Elliott Smith song, I immediately loved it.



And when a second Elliott Smith song came out, I was wow-ed. This movie couldn't make me any happier.

Then the third Elliott Smith song came out and I raised an eyebrow.

Brainstorming some blog ideas for today, I decided to do some research. Good Will Hunting was released in 1997. Either/Or (the Elliott Smith album that contains all of his songs from the soundtrack) was released in 1997. Coincidence? I think not!


The movie essentially was an entire advertisement for Elliott Smith, playing five of his songs from the Either/Or album. FIVE SONGS!!! FIVE!!! Don't tell me that I'm the only person surprised by this.

With such a large amount of songs, I wonder if scenes were purposely altered to fit the music . . . hmph. I mean, the man did make some pretty awesome music . . . why not?

GTP (Gym, Tanning, Product Placement)

Well it was only a matter of time before I exposed the fact that I watch the Jersey Shore. I know, I know, it makes me a horrible person, it's unintellectual, blah blah blah. I think it's funny. That's no crime. Enough people agree with me to make the show wildly popular, and, as we all know, with popularity comes advertisements. Along with the wealth of TV spots that the main characters of the reality show are in, the show provides a pretty strong outlet for product placement.

It seems that the show's producers aren't shy about working products into their plots either. In one episode the cast members play with Flip cameras while they sit in their living room. Last week they passed around a Blackberry phone so that everyone could see a text message. The guys on the show wear Tapout, Ed Hardy, Affliction and other visible clothing brands every time they go out to the club. These instances are probably a mixture of bought product placement and character agency, but the point is clear, the show is full of brands.

However, some brands adamantly don't want to be a part of the show. A friend of mine tipped me off to an article about purse companies targeting one of the better known Jersey Shore personalities; Snooki (aka Nicole Polizzi). The companies are apparently sending Snooki free handbags for her to bring around. Pretty typical, right? Not exactly. According to the New York Observer brands like Gucci and Coach are sending their competitors bags (not their own) to Snooki in the hopes that they can equate other brand names with her controversial personality.

Interesting strategy. I can see where they are coming from. Snooki has a bit of an explosive personality and probably isn't the best name to have equated with your product, especially considering her widely publicized disorderly conduct arrest. On the other hand, the show is a smash hit and there are no doubt plenty of people out there willing to look past Snooki's less admirable characteristics. It's a bold move for these companies to try skew the public image of their competitors, but no more bold than Pauly D's hairstyle.

Seriously, though, to me this is pretty interesting case. It's not often that brands actively try to use public figures against their competitors and it's interesting that they chose such a popular show as Jersey Shore to target. In essence it seems that the companies are agreeing with the idea that viewers are drawn to the interests of the characters they watch, regardless of their moral judgments of those characters. I can't help but be left wondering whether the companies are really the immoral ones.

This Place About to Blow?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, then you’ve heard of Ke$ha, a bold new artist whose electro-pop dance tunes are eclipsed by her trademark glitter and ripped tights. Her lyrics are littered with outlandish statements, reckless behavior, and of course, product placement. In her music, she details her wild lifestyle and mentions, but does not directly endorse, everything from Hanes underwear to Jack Daniel's whiskey.

For her upcoming “Get Sleazy” Spring Tour, the singer is taking her penchant for product placement straight out of her lyrics and into her show. That is, she is replacing her traditional glitter cannon with a condom cannon that will pelt her audience with limited edition Ke$ha Lifestyle condoms. She’s been quoted as saying, “If you come to a live show, it’s a sensory assault. You will leave covered in sweat, beer, glitter, and, just maybe, you’ll get a special edition Ke$ha condom. If it breaks, you have to name your daughter or son after me.”

Photo and story cred: CelebrityFix Quote cred: The Frisky

Interesting marketing strategy, Lifestyles. But then again, what exactly is being sold here, Ke$ha or Lifestyles condoms? Either way, this sure puts an interesting spin on her sexually laced lyrics...

Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama

It’s almost spring break! Pop on your Ray Bans, grab some Jose Cuervo, and try to get into the hottest beach party (did you catch the p.p?) We know that typical “girls gone wild” spring break vacations are magnets for advertisement, but college students aren’t the only revelers in this weeklong vacation. The people with more available funds (adults) want a little bit of fun in the sun as well. And where do where do they turn for advice? Many Northeastern vacation goers turn to the New York Times. Product placement, however, manages to slip into reputable media sources like the Times.

A quick look at the travel section reveals dazzling pictures and equally dazzling price tags, accompanied by helpful links to handpicked hotels and resorts. A March 11 article in the New York Times entitled “14 Easy Weekend Getaways” describes why each destination is attractive and includes a few concealed plugs. “Destin is also easier to get to thanks to Vision Airlines, a new low-fare carrier that will begin nonstop service March 25 to Northwest Florida Regional Airport from 13 markets including Little Rock, Ark., Louisville, Ky., and Asheville, N.C., with rates as low as $79 each way.” That quote, taken out of context, could appear on a television advertisement. When read with the rest of the article, however, the product placement is less obvious.