Bond, James Bond: The coolest spy around. Everybody knows what he drinks. A vodka Martini, shaken, not stirred. But do you know which brand of vodka? Everybody knows the cars he drives.
But do you know which make of car? If you know the make or brand of the products Bond uses, then those companies would be pleased that their investment in product placement has paid off. Various companies paid the producers of the 2008 James Bond film, 'The Quantum of Solace', an amazing seventy nine million dollars, to have their products featured in the movie! Product placement has become more and more popular with advertisers in recent years as audiences can simply fast forward past commercials or avoid them altogether, by downloading films and TV online. As a result their effectiveness has significantly dropped.
By turning the show itself into a commercial the advertisers hope to increase their sales dramatically. Not everybody thinks it's a good idea though. 'Commercial Alert'' a consumer group headed by American politician Ralph Nader, objects to product placement as an "affront to basic honesty". They call for a notification to be placed in movies and TV shows that feature it, in order to help parents better monitor their children, who Commercial Alert claims are easily influenced by product placement. 'Brandchannel', a company that monitors advertising has, since 2001,, given out negative "awards"" to companies that feature the most product placement.
'Sex and the City: The Movie'' won the award in 2008 after featuring product placement from .... Keep an eye out for it next time you watch a movie or TV show!