What Has More Product Placement Than NASCAR Itself? Talladega Nights: the Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Of Course

If you have ever seen the movie starring Will Ferrel as Ricky Bobby and John C. Reilly as his best friend, Cal Naughton, then bless you. This movie is a whirlwind of only one hour and forty-eight minutes, but featured an incredible amount of brands! Not only did the movie include the actual products of the brands, such as the KFC chicken buckets and two litres of Coca-Cola, it also includes brand logos, slogans, and commentary featuring many brands Americans know and love. Of course, anyone familiar, even at the slightest, with NASCAR could probably infer that there would be an enormous amount of brand placement in a movie that documents the fictional life of a man who just wants to go fast. Was the product placement in this move clever or a bit too obvious? Why not both? I mean, NASCAR loves their sponsors, and this movie definitely portrayed that well. There's even a scene where Ricky Bobby shoots commercials for all of his sponsors. Personally, I think that this movie was designed to be as obvious as possible with their brand placements. Think about it, Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton literally say "Shake n' Bake" throughout the movie. Not only that but just

the fact that during the family dinner scene where Ricky Bobby prays to "Baby Jesus" all of the food products have their logos facing the screen at all times. The product placement in this movie isn't as strategic as some others, but that isn't to say it isn't effective.  In fact, Wonder Bread, the sponsor of Ricky Bobby's racing car, gained $4.3 million in exposure. That's incredible! Whether you think this movie was good or bad, you can't deny the amount of intercut work it must have taken to receive and include so many sponsors. This movie didn't come to play, it came to win. After all, if you're not first, then you're last!

A Delightful way to Have a Reese's

Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I am here to set you all straight. This. Is. The. Best. Brand paring EVER. Drumroll, please... REESES AND INTERNATIONAL DELIGHT! Okay, okay, I know this might be a "huh?" moment, but hear me out. This stuff is, basically, a bunch of liquid Reese's peanut butter cups. What more could you ask for? Honestly? You can put this stuff in anything! You might be a little lost, I know I probably would be too, but just hold on we will get there together. This coffee creamer is life changing. Personally, I am not a coffee drinker, can't even go near the stuff without immediately feeling like I can run a 5k, it's the worst. But, I do dabble in my fair share of coffee creamers. Why not? It's my life, I'll do what I want, no judgement. With that being said, I have discovered a lot of things that do not work well together (Polynesian sauce and french fries, I just don't get the combination at all) and I think I found the perfect pairing. You might be wondering, "If you don't drink coffee, then why do you own this (very delectable) coffee creamer?", and to that, I would say "Because I'm a genius".  

Have you ever had hot chocolate? Have you ever made a cake? What about, I don't know, ANY DESSERT?! If you've answered "yes" to any of these questions, then I would challenge you to add Reese's peanut butter cup International Delight coffee creamer to your next sweet concoction. It will do you wonders! The first time I used this coffee creamer for something other than *decaf* coffee was for hot chocolate (I'm addicted to hot chocolate) and it changed my life. I highly recommend trying it! I truly believe International Delight has outdone themselves. They have some of the coolest and tastiest coffee creamers on the market. Honestly, I'm sure if you add any of their coffee creamers to your next sweet creation it'll be great! International Delight and Reese's, in that case, isn't scared to try something different, a little crazy, but very tasty. I have to say, I wasn't expecting to rave this much about this brand pairing, but I feel like this was a necessary public service announcement. I hope the next time you go grocery shopping you add this coffee creamer to your cart. Don't worry, you can thank me later.

Oreo's + Peanut Butter: The Parent Trap

The first time I had come across peanut butter and Oreos was when I watched The Parent Trap when I was a kid. At the time, that creation was just some innovative idea that I have never thought of myself (which is curious considering I love chocolate + peanut butter). But now with advertising-focused eyes, I recognize a brilliant strategic advertising move done by Oreo. 

This product placement is organic and very fluid. The Oreos are being dipped in jars of peanut butter by two twelve year-old girls at a summer camp. It’s seen as a childhood classic cookie, a snack that forges connection, builds bonding and conversation. It’s both a classic treat, while also being the connector between two sisters. 

Viewers might not think twice about the product, but when you study its placement in the scenes, one will notice the cookie is a sort of comfort that is had over conversation and late-night gabbing. 

When you consider all of the elements of the narrative of the movie, the placement and symbol that Oreo presents is excellent. It presents a story of long-lost sisters becoming best friends, re-connecting their parents all while having mischievous and innocent fun through summer camp to Paris to the vineyards of California. It’s a simple idea, yet somehow sweet, interesting, and captivating. Much like the Oreo itself. All together it becomes a connector between two things: sisters and family, cookies and cream.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/284149057709751987/?lp=true

#GameofCookies

As entertainment continues to grow, television series, movies, artists, and shows become their own brand. Hamilton the Musical has grown into a subset of our culture; movie series like Star Wars and Harry Potter have grown into global phenomenons. And television series like Game of Thrones have become international sensation, growing into a world of its own. 

Game of Thrones, an HBO series based on the book A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, went on air in 2011. Since its commencement, its growth has increased incredibly, gaining more and more fans and viewers as the years have gone on.

So it was a very strategic marketing move for a classic cookie to pair with the worldwide series. Oreos, milk’s favorite cookie, has long been a favorite since its start in 1912. Perfect for conquering a sweet tooth, snacking during a show, or as a treat with a cold glass of milk, Oreos have become hugely successful. It made sense for them to pair themselves with such a strong entertainment brand as Game of Thrones. 

The themed Oreos feature 4 different sigils from the television show, very recognizable to viewers. The packaging is in a sleek, matte black casing with the “O” in “Oreos” resembling the same “O” that has become the series’ famous logo. Oreo itself is also spelled out and designed in the same font and style as the show. Oreo didn’t stop there; they created hashtags to align the brands even further via social platforms with #GameofCookies and #FortheThrone.

The featured cookies hit shelves April 8th and have been hugely popular for the cookie brand. I can speak from experience here. Both myself and my Mom have bought packs of the themed cookies just for the premiere, even though we very seldom actually eat them. The cookies are a celebratory commencement of the final season and perfect for the wide spectrum of fans across the world. And Game of Thrones benefitted to by gaining even more traction and recognition of the season premiere. 

This was one of the most loved brand-pairings I’ve seen in sometime. Fans and cookie-lovers alike are most definitely satisfied. 

https://www.delish.com/food-news/a26516837/game-of-thrones-oreos/

E.T. and Reese's Pieces

In the movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Elliot laid a trail of Reese’s Pieces for E.T. Reese’s Pieces were introduced in 1978 and were practically a brand-new product when the movie came out in 1982. After the movie hit the theaters, sales of Reese’s Pieces topped M&M’s for the first time ever. Sales of Reese’s Pieces went up by 65%, and soon they were being sold in theaters, where they had never been before. This demonstrates the potential power of product placement.

Here, you can see Elliot scatter the Reese’s Pieces to lure E.T.

The original script for E.T. called for Elliot to scatter a trail of M&M’s to lure E.T. Yet, when Amblin Entertainment asked the M&M division of Mars, Inc. for permission to feature M&M’s in the movie, the company refused! They decided that they did not want their candy to be associated with aliens or some such nonsense.

MasterCard and Apple: A priceless collaboration

MasterCard worked with Apple to deliver a seamless and secure payment experience. For consumers and merchants alike, that means that every purchase made with a MasterCard using an iPhone 6 or higher, will offer the security, benefits and guarantees of any MasterCard transaction. Consumers can also use their Apple Watch.

Below is an ad for the collaboration as well as a 36-sec. commercial. The commercial is informative and explains exactly how to use your MasterCard with Apple Pay. Apple Pay transforms mobile payments with an easy, secure, and private way to make purchases.

Moe's Vs Chipotle

Every day when I walk to the T station down at 6th avenue I pass the same 2 billboards on Fifth Avenue. They are owned by two competing companies: Chipotle and Moe's Southwest Grill. On the larger billboard owned byChipotle- it is always advertising a food item and how close the store is located proximate to the city.



Chipotle demonstrates to the customer that a new product line is available- in this case Queso and that it is only a short way away for them to get it. The Ad is challenging the viewer to go to Market Square and seize what is "theirs": Queso.

Across the street Moe's has taken out a billboard of its own- also demonstrating its own version of queso and its location- also in Market square. The Moe's ad is poking fun at Chipotle- alluding to their Queso product and how it is considered not real queso. Moe's has long been a maker of Queso and is mocking Chipotle's attempt at one of their premier products. These two companies have been dueling with billboards for a while now and every time Chipotle puts up a new billboard- Moe's changes theirs. If nothing else- it has brought public attention and visibility to both brands and that is important.

Dunkin v Starbucks

Dunkin Donuts

In history of Dunkin's advertising, they have had some nonsensical, humorous commercials. This ad from February of 2019 is just another example of those. However, they are just taking another play on their phrase, "America Runs on Dunkin." They use the expedition of Europeans in the 1400s to the Americas to set a precursor for the perfect, coffee-fueled America, almost as if it were the origin story of Dunkin. Of course they used humor in the ad, but they also use a historical event that is commonly known to add to that humor. It is all to make a joke on their slogan, saying that their happy American future "runs on Dunkin." They also appeal to a young audience with the reference to a Flat-Earth joke that was popular at the beginning of the year on social media.


Starbucks

Starbucks consistently stays on the "trendy" side of their advertisements. This January spot, similar to Dunkin's appeals to a social media user with the use of a hashtag and fun stickers like one might see on filters. They attempt to stay involved in their audience's lives with this strategy. The advertisement itself is personable and light, stating that anyone could have a perfect morning. That morning could involve saying yes to a Starbucks Blonde Flat White Coffee, but to each person their own. The ad is short and sweet and allows Starbucks' consumers to be connected to the brand through social media, making Starbucks part of their morning routine.


While both advertisements are fun and target a young adult audience, they use different styles and strategies to market their brand. Dunkin uses humor to tell a backstory of their famous "America runs on Dunkin" slogan, while using actors and a full display of some items that they have on the menu. They not only are advertising their brand, but the products consumers might enjoy from their menu. Starbucks, on the other hand, uses multiple clips of modern, morning situations with upbeat music to stir an emotion of joy when they think of Starbucks. It gets their audience involved and does not show much about Starbucks except for a few cups and the store logo in a few shots.

Coke Zero vs Pepsi Max

This ad campaign has seemed to fade out a bit in recent years, but I believe it is still notable for its memorability factor. Coke and Pepsi have been in competition for decades, and the Coke Zero vs Pepsi Max campaign is no exception. The unique selling proposition for both of these beverages is basically the same - zero calories, zero sugar, but with the same classic taste as the non-diet beverage. Both companies frequently take aim at each other through their ads, but the promise to the consumer is always the same: It's the same classic taste, but without all of the reservations that come with guzzling sugar.

This ad shows a Pepsi and Coke salesman exchanging some jabs with each other the quality of their respective drinks over a fitting soundtrack playing: "Everything you can do" Ultimately, Pepsi gets the best of Coke with a well placed celebrity endorsement by Snoop Dogg.

In this ad, Coke doesn't take direct aim at Pepsi like the latter does in the previous ad, but it is still effective. The benefits of Coke Zero are equated to "Phones without the dodgy ringtones, workmates without the work, and girlfriends without the five-year plan." In other words, you don't have to take the good with the bad when it comes to Coke Zero, just the good.

Compare ads Burger King & McDonald's

For Burger King’s ad

Burger King published the Simpsons in some of their advertisements. At the same time, the "Simpsons" movie and the Burger King brand were promoted. I think the best burger king commercial with the Simpsons. These ads are linked to animation and advertising to impress consumers. People who like the "Simpsons" animation have become potential consumers.

For McDonald’s ’ad

It shows the fact that fast food work is not a full-time job, but a part-time job. Part-time is a learning experience or a method of gaining work experience before applying for a full-time job in a high-paying field. Let consumers know about their work through two stories. Let consumers remember this brand.

Both ads use animation. 

What they have in common is that they are both commercial cooperative advertisements.

The difference is that McDonald's advertisement does not mention the price of food, which is to tell viewers about the working environment of McDonald's and how to communicate with consumers. In burger king's commercials, every little story is about the cute Simpsons, and then burger king will have their own meal plan, with a price tag.