Apple Product Placement, Do They Have An Advantage Over Other Tech Brands?

Apple products have long been a favorite in Hollywood. From movies to TV series to music videos, Apple seems to be everywhere. Even before the iPod, iPhone and iPad, their products got more screen time than their competitors. Unfair advantage?! Depends on who you talk to!

Apple's Mac SE on Seinfeld

Before "i" products were even launched, Hollywood was in love with Apple, as their computers were starring behind the scenes. Art departments loved Macs, so deals were being brokered featuring Apple products on camera while also being utilized by production personnel for design work. Even when Apple's computer market share was hovering at 2%, their computers still dominated Hollywood productions. Of course, it is a huge bonus that Apple products have always been a step ahead of the competition when it comes to design-when it looks good on camera it just looks good on camera! 


Starting with the iMac series and fast forwarding to iPads, Apple not only created consumer demand for their products but Hollywood followed suit. It was a natural progression, having and iPod on camera became akin to drinking a Coke (or Pepsi).


So do you think it is unfair that Apple benefits from stylish products that are easy to use?

Junk Food Product Placement: Are Brands Still Advertising To Kids On TV Shows?

Many of America's largest brands have pledged not to advertise unhealthy food and beverages to kids. But what about also those product placements on television productions, do they count as advertising?!

Coca-Cola Cups On America Idol

I would say yes, some studies would tell you these placements are not as impactful as a traditional :30sec spot so it shouldn't be cause for concern. I strongly disagree!!! For the most part I would agree that most product placements and brand integrations are not designed to put products front and center as commercials do; However, the implied celebrity endorsement that is transferred to consumers is invaluable, making it just as much of an advertisement. When kids see the American Idol judges sipping from their Coke cups during the show, should it be classified as as an advertisement for the brand? Absolutely!

So if brands truly want to stop marketing their unhealthy consumables products to America's youth, entertainment marketing should be taken off the table as well. 

Did J-Lo Go Too Far With Fiat On The American Music Awards?

J-Lo On Stage At AMA's In Fiat 500

The fact that I'm blogging about this, some people would say that's success for Fiat. Not so fast... Let's delve into this integration further!


First of all, I question Fiat's choice of having J-Lo be their primary spokesperson. Don't get me wrong, she's at the peak of her career right now (very high consumer recognition), but I'm not sure she's the right fit for the brand. Anyway, that's a discussion for another day. Looking at the integration on Sunday, I would have to say it was definitely over the top and not effective. 


Why, you may ask? When it comes to brand integration and product placement, you want the consumer and expert reaction to be positive. If people are talking about an integration, you want the discussion to be a favorable one. The NBC series Seinfeld is a great example of how to make over the top brand integration's seem ok. When you are strategic about it, weaving it into the storyline and using humor, it becomes a "win, win" situation for the advertiser and consumer. Seinfeld was great at this, so consequently consumers did not feel that brands were being forced down their throats. Sunday night at the AMA's? Definitely not strategic, definitely not integral to the storyline and definitely not funny!

J-Lo Performing At AMA's

You can click on the link about to watch her performance on the show if you haven't already. Having the Fiat on stage was nothing more than a blatant integration that did nothing to move the brand forward (and it didn't help things that J-Lo could not get the door open to get in the car). The car was a useless prop that most people saw as an excessive plug for the Fiat brand. Fiat was already an advertising partner (several commercial spots) for the ABC telecast, and the integration I'm sure was sold as "added value" for the brand. Unfortunately, in my opinion, some of the value that had been established for the Italian car makers re-entry into the US market was diminished on Sunday night. 

Do Brands Have Control Of What Shows And Movies Their Products Are Placed In? By Ian McQueen

Yes... Providing they implement and execute an organized product placement marketing program. So what does that look like?


Well what it doesn't look like is sitting by the phone, waiting for a movie studio or TV show to call and then sending product out, hoping to get good exposure. First of all, productions call on companies because of their needs, which may not necessarily match the brands marketing and promotion objectives. Second, when reacting to "random" calls, companies do not have the opportunity to review and compare with other potential projects that may be a better fit. What's the solution?


Brands need to work with an agency that has the Hollywood connections and the ability to review and propose projects that fit their advertising and branding initiatives. Develop a plan-whether it's a long term comprehensive program or project by project review, set the foundation and stick to it. These simple steps will bring structure and organization to the program, as well as realistic expectations.

Will Tablets Replace Laptop Product Placement In Hollywood Productions? By Ian McQueen

The first notable tablet placement was Apple's iPad on Modern Family-before it became available for consumer purchase. FOX's hit series 24 was still in production and crew members began tweeting about using the iPad on the show during the final season. So with Samsung, Lenovo, Asus and others storming the tablet marketplace, will we be seeing more tablets in starring roles than laptops?

Copyright ABC Studios, All Rights Reserved

Hollywood productions are definitely ramping up their requests for tablets for use in movies, television shows and music video productions. But we are a long way away from tablets replacing laptops. First of all, computer playback technicians (those are the folks in charge of the graphics you on camera) still love the power laptops provide for behind the scenes use. Also, there are a lot of "old school" directors around who are not ready to   make the tablet switch. The Dell's, HP's and Acer's of the world all still very much want to see their laptops in the hands of top Hollywood talent (Samsung and Apple too, but they are the leaders in the tablet market). From a reality standpoint (real life, not those scripted reality series), laptops are still a big part of our everday lives, so that also factors in when making movies and TV shows.


What's the bottom line? Tablets will continue to carve out screen time, but they won't replace laptops anytime soon. 

If We Pay More, Will Our Company Get Better Brand Integration? By Ian McQueen

We all know you get what you pay for, right?! Does that apply to brand integration in Hollywood productions? It depends...

There are so many things that factor into a good brand integration. Is the project the right fit demographically for the brand? Is the integration organic (seamless fit with the storyline) or forced (consumer reaction: they paid big $$'s for that)? Can the released date of the property be leveraged to create incremental sales? Is the studio or production company just looking for a straight fee or a partnership involving a co-branded cross promotion? These are a few of the many questions and considerations that must be addressed when considering brand integration in movies, television shows and music video productions. 

It really isn't as simple as "the more you pay, the better the integration." Brands need to thoroughly evaluate every opportunity and determine potential ROI before moving forward. Can you get more by spending more? Yes, but more of what? If a brand partners with a project that does not sync with their advertising and branding strategies, they could be throwing their money away.

Take brand integration opportunities seriously. Hire an agency or an entertainment marketing expert to review potential opportunities before opening up the checkbook! 

Ashton Kutcher's Branded Laptop On Two And A Half Men, Accident Or Intentional? By Ian McQueen

So we are expected to believe that CBS executives somehow missed the HUGE stickers on the laptop Ashton Kutcher was using on the 2nd episode of season 9 on Two and Half Men. Foursquare, The Hipp Munk, GroupMe and Cheff were all visible in the scene. CBS claims they did not know about the laptop until it was too late? Really?!?!

Copyright CBS Television, All Rights Reserved

Was that the best they could come up with? See, having been around Hollywood for a little bit, I happen to know for a fact that network executives are a big part of the process when it comes to the finalizing episodes. Believe me when I say they saw the episode early enough to make the revisions (edit out the logos) if they wanted to. So what gives?

Having not been on the set or privy to any of the actual conversations or discussions surrounding the brand integration of the laptop, my guess is it came down to star power. Many years ago (1987 to be accurate) I was working on the then NBC hit series Family Ties. The show was in its final season, and brands were lining up to get their products in the hands of Alex P. Keaton (that's Michael J. Fox for those of you too young to know). Uniden had just come out with a cell phone (could of qualified as a boat anchor the way phones were back in the day) and desperately wanted to have the phone appear on Family Ties. After discussing with the show's Propmaster and Producers, we were told that the only way it was going to happen is if Mr. Fox approved the deal. So we went directly to him and cut a deal. After we finalized things, he went to the show's Executive Producer and said (and I quote): "This phone, it's in the shot." End of discussion. Yes, the phone indeed did make the final cut, in the hands of Alex P. Keaton.

Now, I'm not saying that's what happened on Two and a Half Men... And I'm not saying it didn't! What I'm saying is that CBS knew about the the integration and had enough time to greek the logos in post. Why didn't they do it? I'm guessing Mr. Kutcher had a say in the final decision. 

Restaurants & Movie Brand Integration: Have They Gone Too Far? By Ian McQueen

Branded movie toys, tray liners, bags, cups... Even special menu items are created when restaurants and Hollywood get together for brand integration deals. Is it overkill?!

                          Captain America Coolatta at Dunkin Donuts, Copyright Marvel Entertainment, All Rights Reserved

Not at all! From a consumer standpoint, they relish the opportunity to receive branded items from blockbuster movies, especially young kids and tweens. The perception is they are receiving limited edition items that are cool (or "sick" as the tweens like to say). As far as menu items go, that's just more added value in the eyes of restaurant patrons. The "special item" is something new to try that will only be on the menu for a short period of time.

For the restaurants, the key initiatives are usually branding and incremental sales. From a branding standpoint, having the integration and extended affiliation via a cross promotion is extremely valuable. Partnering with high profile feature films position their brand as "entertainment savvy," driving consumer awareness and impressions up for the duration of the program. At the end of the day, creating incremental sales is how these programs are judged. Were they creative enough to drive traffic to their locations?

More so than not, both the restaurant operators and motion picture studios end up hitting a home run!

What If My Logo Isn't Visible, Can Product Placement Still Be Effective? By Ian McQueen

The creative process of producing a television show or feature film usually takes precedence over making sure a specific brand receives the perfect "logo" shot. "Organic integration" is a term that is used often in Hollywood when describing brands that receive starring roles (think Mad Men, Entourage, Sex and The City movie). So what do you think, can you still leverage an integration if you do not receive name or logo branding? 

Well that all depends... There are a lot of instances where the answer is yes. A Porsche Boxter could have 90 seconds of camera time with a lead actor but no name or logo exposure. You don't even have to see an iPhone, but could hear the trademark Apple ding and know what phone is being used. What about part of a Pepsi or Coke can, just the colors alone will tell you what it is without seeing the full name. These are just a few of many instances where there is still a lot of media value for brands without name recognition. 

So for the most part the answer is yes. Taking it a step further, you can use social media and traditional PR to promote these integrations, talking up the fact that your product is going to be featured on screen in a movie or TV show. Unlike when athletes say "It's not about the money," with product placement and brand integration it's not always about the logo. 

How Soon Will I See My Product On A TV Show? By Ian McQueen

When brands purchase traditional media, detailed schedules with exact dates and times are provided. The process of planning and scheduling media buys for brands is pretty straight forward. Not so much with most brand integration and product placement opportunities.

Timing is everything! For example, let's say a product is placed on CSI for the first episode of the season. While that episode is filmed in July, it will not air until the end of September. Fast forward to December for another CSI placement and the episode could air as early as January.

The Primetime network schedule runs from September through May, with most productions filming July through March. Now, supposed the product is integrated into a mid-season replacement show in August. Well, the brand will usually have to wait until at least February before episodes begin airing. Don't even get me started on movies!

The key for brands is partnering with an entertainment marketing agency that will be able to manage the product placement marketing process.