The Importance of Product Placement in TV & Film
by James P. Outreach & PR ExecutiveIn 2011, on ITV’s This
Morning, a Nescafé coffee machine was featured on an episode. This may seem
insignificant, however the inclusion of this went beyond Eamonn Holmes simply being
able to drink flat white coffees. This moment was the first ever introduction
of product placement on British television. A ban had been lifted championed by
Church leaders and doctors across the country — however, there are still rules
and regulations; the BBC is prohibited from using product placement due to
being funded by the license fee. When other channels use product placement,
they must display a mandatory ‘P’ for viewers. Certain things like junk food,
alcohol, cigarettes, and gambling cannot be promoted.
Nine years on from the
ban, now Coronation Street show staple brands like Co-Operative shopping
bags and Costa, with Emmerdale residents eating a lot of McCain chips. Despite
the fact broadcast regulator OFCOM doesn’t keep data in regard to the amount of
viewing hours dedicated to product placement, it is easy to see the impact the
marketing concept has had. Back in 2015, ITV admitted that since the ban had
been lifted, they had scheduled more than 4,000 hours of programming which
involved product placement.
Although product
placement is subject to much criticism, a survey conducted by TRP Research in
2018, discovered that only 27 per cent of viewers had noticed it. 67 per cent
said they don’t mind the marketing strategy if they do recognise it, while, one respondent noted, “I don’t mind it it— it makes the programme
more real and relatable”.
Ranging from chocolate
bars to luxury cars, here, we take a look at product placements position in the
modern media, examining costs versus worth for businesses.
ITV’s Love Island
Back in the summer
when Love Island was aired everyday, the show successfully established
itself as a brand in itself. It should come as no surprise that a host of
companies have invested heavily to get their own slice of the reality pie.
According to Kantar
Social Media Intelligence, Love Island was the most talked about
programme in 2018 on Twitter. However, not even the producers could have
predicted the growth of the show in 2019. 3.7 million people tuned in to watch
the first episode on 3rd June. Added to those who viewed the show
through ITV Hub, the online streaming service, to the viewing figure came in at
4.2 million — a considerable 1.3 million more than sat down to indulge in it
some 12 months previous.
Superdrug, the health supplements and beauty
retailer, have been the main sponsors of the show over the last three years in
multi-million-pound deals. However, failed negotiations with the high-street
store saw Love Island partner up with app-based takeaway company, Uber
Eats. Reportedly, the delivery service paid more than £5m and their investment,
despite what may seem financially intensive, makes considerable sense. During
the first episode, 18.5 per cent of viewers that were watching TV at the time
were watching Love Island. More importantly, for the brands who had
invested, which include Lucozade, Ministry
of Sound, and Samsung, 57 per cent of the demographic they were
targeting that were watching television, 16-24 year old’s, were also tuned in.
Bond’s
GoldenEye, The Italian Job, Mission: Impossible
As well as some of the
best movie scenes of all time, these films have a common denominator — the BMW
brand. Pierce Brosnan, Mark Wahlberg, and Tom Cruise all negotiated some fairly
unbelievable tasks at the helm of a vehicle produced by the German
manufacturer, who, similarly, build the popular BMW 1 Series.
Although featuring the
Aston Martin up until 1995, Bond swapped for a luxury BMW. Many saw the
Bavarian company’s investment of $3 million a risk —if the movie release was to
be delayed, the featured Z3 would be an outdated concept. But, their gamble
paid dividends, and returned approximately $240 million in sales. Not only did
profits rise like Bond’s passenger ejector seat, the brand built successfully
built upon an already distinguished reputation.
Film critic Stephanie
Zacharek commented on the remake of the Italian
Job in 2003, “the
real start of The Italian Job is not a person but a car”. After
providing more than thirty different Minis, to whom BMW are the owner, the
final scene of the movie, one of the most exhilarating car chases to come out
of Hollywood, which featured three different coloured models, BMW’s sales
increased 22 per cent the following year.
Netflix’s
Stranger Things
Stranger Things, the US Netflix show was popular in 2019. Despite
a gripping plot and undeniably talented acting delivered through the show’s
young cast, viewers were quick to point the sheer multitude of brands which
featured. In a report generated by Concave Brand Tracking, it was estimated
that the brand placement included in the third series was worth more than $15
million. The top ten visible labels were:
·
Reebok
·
7-Eleven
·
Burger
King
·
Coca-Cola
·
Cadillac
·
Chevrolet
·
Adidas
·
Casio
·
Pentax
·
Sharp
Due to the huge
fanbase of Stranger Things and the cheap cost of advertising on Netflix,
Dominic Artzrouni, director of Concave, suggests “the ROI numbers are making brands very
happy”. Artzrouni goes on to draw upon the fact none of the products which are
referenced were paid for by third parties and are all part of the show, which
regularly calls upon ‘80s consumer culture.
Product placement is a
significant part of television, however it’s worth considering whether it
destroys the naturality of films and programmes when it is so obvious and
overdone.
Sources
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12593061
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/product-placement-examples
https://www.marketingweek.com/love-island-sponsorship-risk/
https://www.everydayknow.com/fundraising-slogans/
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Created on Feb 17th 2020 10:50. Viewed 563 times.