The Product Placement Arena

• 05feb

  THE WEB ON THE TABLE

  Mobile, Product Placement, Serial, web, web serial No Comments

  

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   For sure there is a format well developed in the TV entertainment world, the wine and food one.There is the serial by the young international creative chef (Jamie Oliver); the Tv report in the week-end with chefs, sommelliers and famous critics (Vissani, Luca Maroni ecc.), the semiprofessional and deepening one (New Work by Laura Ravaioli) and those for people who have few time but lots of passion (Nigella Express).  Even on the radio there are wine and food programmes (Decanter) or weekly appointments with interesting proposals for the week-end always connected to food. The web, especially, is full of sites about the good table, or video portals with huge amounts of channels for cooking class and degustation, more or less interesting from a quality point of view. For different reasons none of them have ever approached the product placement. The professional productions maybe considering this like a conflict of interest, the minor and independent ones not so interested in the Companies that have potentially proposed themselves. On this base, the project “Five stars Pans”, nominee at the “7 plots for 7 brands” competition presents something new as it has been thought eaxctly for the web and the product placement. Let’s thing about a video on demand, divided into subjects, very short and easy for anybody through the web. The set could be any real or creative location and the placement declinations will go from furniture to kitchenware to wine and food products .

• 03feb

  UP IN THE AIR: BETWEEN THE CLOUDS OF PRODUCT PLACEMENT

  Brand Integration, Hollywood, Marketing, Product Placement No Comments

   

  Yesterday the new “Up in the Air” went out in the Italian cinemas and already got 6 nominations for Golden Globe. A good and nice movie by Jason Reitman and George Clooney well demonstrates his great direction and interpretation as it happened in “Burn after reading” by Cohen Brothers. A few days before Christmas the most important American movie journalist (Brook Barnes) wrote an article between fun and polemic about the massive product placement of which American Airlines and Hilton Hotels had got profit. The story is in fact about a man that spends most of his time and life between hotels and airports, going around the USA dismissing the employeers that their managers have not the courage to do. A few days after the coming out of the movie the two big Companies had underlined that for that presence no money was paid for. And such declaration provoked again the journalist who, in another article, wrote that this was just half of the truth. After the going out of the movie in the USA, both around American Airlines as well Hilton Hotels there were lots of promotional events, parties and much more with the intention to profit for such a great placement. It is important to underline that such a marketing operation had got very good results in such a difficult economic moment. As usual, the Americans have clapped in front of this third revelation obtaine by both the Companies.

• 01feb

  ST.MORITZ AWARD: A PLACE FOR PLACEMENT

  Celebrity Seeding, Event, Marketing No Comments

   At first we must say that S.Moritz is the most famous and old skiing station. In 1864 the first holiday pioneers spent their time in this little Swiss jewel. Famous people got in love with her, such as Thomas Mann and Friedrich Nietzsche, or Alfred Hitchcock, Charlie Chaplin, Rita Hayworth, Brigitte Bardot, Gregory Peck and George Clooney, etc. Now in March the first “St.Moritz Award” will be assigned to and the winners are Kerry Kennedy and Sharon Stone. Two people so different between them with in common the love for this place, their great professional career and their hard but continuous social commitment. The award wants to underline exactly these three things. The winners are considered “Top of the World” as they have been able to exploit their professional success, their fame for the others. As to say, that the exclusive and a little snob skiing station wants to change its values. That’s good for all those Sponsors that would like to approach such famous people for an event so socially and humanly important.

  As in other cases, the ways to be present with ones’ own brands are different. Considering the format of the event, the realities more interested can be those about products and brands of higher level that have the capacity and structure to develop supporting actions (before and after), with the aim to value at the best this operation beside real outsiders.

  Nice place, nice event, nice products: the “rule of number three” has been respected.

• 27gen

  BASKETBALL WIVES

  Product Placement, Serial, Sport No Comments

   

  

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   In Italy for some reasons people have not talked about it yet, but during these days the shooting of a new reality quite curious will begin, “Basketball Wives” (on line on VH1 since March the 15^th). Realised and produced by Shaunie O’Neal (Shaquille’s wife) before their separation, she has never thought to cancel her Show because such an unpleasant event in her private life, on the contrary the most ex-famous NBA wife has just changed a few details. Thus, instead of following the troubled life of the Basketball Wives, you could follow the daylife of fiancèes and ex-wives. In the cast there are Jennifer Williams (Eric Williams’ wife), Evelyn Lozada (ex-fiancèe of Antoine Walker), Mesha O’Neal (Jermaine O’Neal’s wife), Royce Reed, Faith Rain and Shaunie O’Neal. They drive luxurious cars, live in the most prestigious houses, wear the most expensive clothes, they represent the American dream. They are always looking for news, creativity, trends and anything else to show for first just to be recognised as trendsetters…. and lots of Italian Companies should profit of this incredible occasion with product placement actions.

• 24gen

  TRUMP AND THE FABULOUS WORLD OF “REALITY”

  Brand Integration, Celebrity Seeding, Marketing, Product Placement, TV No Comments

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   For years the new Realities have changed format and public. In Europe it is true that a few quite old titles still exist but the road towards the new generation of Shows has been opened somewhere else. Donald Trump, for example, after the great success (even in Europe) of “The apprentice” is realising a new project that will begin its shooting by the end of the month. The title is “ DONALD J. TRUMP’S FABULOUS WORLD OF GOLF” and it is about an exclusive golf tournament where Hollywood actors, singers and musicians, politicians, top managers and businessmen, several VIPs are taking part. With the typical American mentality, these characters should try to win and at the same time do two other things: Business & Charity. Business: it is quite known that on a golf field it is possible to make more affairs than during a board of directors.You can swear that Donald Trump will try his best to promote partnerships between movie producers and musicians for example, or between athletes and sponsors and so on, thus stimolating a sort of “brain storming” between one putt and the other (everything on line and under the eyes of millions of people). Then there is the other aspect, socially worthier and technically more innovative, charity. The cachet of the players and the final prize is fact will be given on charity. This is not the “Intelligent” TV but by sure the “interesting” one. And interesting it could be for that fashion Italian Company that will wear the coolest VIPs of the planet with its clothes, jewels or accessories. From now on this can be possible.

• 19gen

  SUPERBOWL 2010

  Celebrity Seeding, Hollywood, Marketing, Sport, TV No Comments

  

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   There is one way really sure to test product placement and its efficacy: the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl, at the beginning of February, represents one of the most followed programmes not only in the USA but in all the world. A great occasion for lots of Celebrities (actors, musicians, trendsetters, Vips, journalists and buyers) to exploit this catwalk to consolidate their image in a frame that talks more about costumes and fashion than sports.

  However all these ShowBiz Stars use to relax, before their public apperance, in a lounge room full of interesting objects, accessories, personal gifts, electronic gadgets, clothing, jewels, etc. All these products have to be worn during the SuperBowl, the TV reportages (E!, News Live, Extra Entertainment Tonight, Fox, etc.) and the press reports (US Weekly, Life& Style, Daily Variety, Enterteinment Weekly, LA Confidential, Hollywood Reporter etc). Both when the VIPs wear these obejcts only for fitting or really in public, it is allowed to take pictures and use them for ads or marketing strategies. It is really a unique occasion for all those brands that want to propose or re-propose themselves on the USA market. The lounge room tradition is really an old one and well appreciated by the Stars. In the last edition of the SuperBowl, there were important Vips such as Winona Rider, Samuel Jackson, Paris Hilton, Eva Longoria, Paula Abdul, Debra Messing, Jason Lee, Patrick Dempsey, Kate Walsh, Teri Hatcher and more.

• 18gen

  BORDERMAN

  Marketing, Mobile, Serial, music, web, web serial No Comments

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   Few good ideas have begun to arrive about the prize “7 productions for 7 products” we talked about a month ago. In its official version it will be almost sure that its name will be “7 plot for 7 brands”. We have to say that there will not be just one winner as prizes and medals are not its aim.Its aim in fact is to point out good ideas to propose to Companies interested in planning new product placements. The web serial budgets are so low that the brands that invest become microproducers and can manage their product/webserial even following their own strategies (through their own web company, on facebook page, youtube or metcafe, DVD mobile or selling the format to some digital stations).

   

  And within this scenery the project “Borderman” is really a great interpretation. First of all, it is not a traditional web serial, it is not just the translation of a sit-com on the web but something new called “multiformat” as it is divided into 5 sections, one after the other, about the same subject. Thanks to this, Borderman is a perfect project for product placement, keeping its plot characteristics as well as awakening the public interest. The Companies more interested in this project should be those about sports clothing and accessories, the more casual brands, and those that get around the “Indi” music. Considering its meagre investment and its planning ductility, it is a chance really full of potentialities.

• 14gen

  Max Ryan, Celebrity & Placement.

  Celebrity Seeding, Hollywood, Marketing, Product Placement, movie No Comments

  

   In “Sex and the City 2”, the new love of Samantha is Rikard, by Max Ryan, a charming 40 year-old actor that has already performed quite twenty movies (The League of Extraordinary gentlemen, Kiss of the Dragon, Death Race etc.), and in this period he is working on very important projects. He has just finished to perform “Dark Moon Rising”, “Fours Years Running”, “Blackline: The Beirut Contract” (all already in post-production) , while he is going to work in such execellent productions such as “Wall Street”, “The Rogue” and Double Fault”. He is engaged until 2012 under the lights of all the world, both for for the movies, on the set, on the red carpet, in a few talk-shows, in press conferences and vernissages to promote his work and productions. All this is quite interesting as the actor is available to valuate any proposal of Branding deal, product placement and celebrity seeding. Italian fashion and accessories Companies for Man should really consider this chance to have such a professional star, so charming and talented, for the next three years.

• 12gen

  BACI&ABBRACCI & PLACEMENT PLANNING

  Hollywood, Marketing, Product Placement, TV, movie No Comments

  

  The Product Placement is an instrument that helps to better profile the products, proposes more quickly and wholly a brand or a mood and is very helpful for the following activities of PR and Press office. If we want to use less words we could say that Product Placement is a marketing branch. Another consideration follows this one immediately, that until nowadays has never been so clear and acceptable: “ Product placement is an activity that has to be planned and integrated with marketing”. Even in Italy we can perceive some signals of quality improvement in the placement operations. Baci&Abbracci for example has appeared in the last month in the Kolossal “2012” and in the Italian production “Meno male che ci sei” where the main character Luisa, by Claudia Gerini, has worn its clothes. This is a chance not so casual and by sure it puts the brand from Milan among the most active of this sector. For all the Companies and brands that are thinking about product placement, this is one of the best period to start talking with the placement agencies. The end of the year in fact is time for balance as well as future expectations and it is not difficult to believe that the first arriving will get the best profits.

• 22dic

  ELOISE IN PARIS HUNTING FOR BRAND INTEGRATION

  Brand Integration, Hollywood, Marketing, Product Placement, movie No Comments

                                                                                                                                                                            

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   In January 2008, almost two years ago, people talked about the possible adaptation for the cinema of a famous literary character for children of the 50s (Eloise, in fact, a clever girl of 11). Then there was the crisis and neither the synpathy of the girl or her charming nanny (Uma Thurman) could convince the producers to go on with the project. Today, on the contrary, thanks to the positive economic trends, the shooting is in the works for the end of January 2010. The premises are good both for the cast as well as for its background. The books in fact were sold and are sold nowadays very well and they have become one of those phenomenons called “longsellers” (or classic). The Disney Production has moreover already realised two episodes for TV with great success.The movie declination can be considered the right and proper step. The production is now looking for a “licensing Deal” for the clothes of the little Eloise and her nanny Uma Thurman. We don’t have much time but being Italians we can do it !

• 19dic

  CHARLIE’S ANGELS RELOADED

  Product Placement, Serial, TV No Comments

  Between the 70s and the 80s (in the USA it was between 1976 and 1981), “Charlie’s Angels” charmed the TV watchers for its original formula that mixed the glamour of three beautiful girls very “posch” and the “soft thriller” plot fit for any age. After twenty years about the format has been translated into a movie with two new episodes (“Charlie’s Angels” in 2000 and “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” in 2003) that obtained quite a good result with a third remake not in production yet. Moreover the plot has been used in 2003 for different videogames versions (Nintendo, GameCube and PlayStation 2) as well as for mobiles. Since the beginning of the year it has been speaking about a new version of the serial, more or less as it happened for “Beverly Hills”, “Merlose Place”, “V Visitor” and “Supercar”, serials not all arrived in Italy and those that did it (90210) with results not so good as it was expected (while in the USA they got prizes). However the premises in this case are different: the scriptwriters and the producers are among the best but above all they are the same of years ago. Very important the presence of Drew Barrymore that in the serial supports the producers Josh Friedman and Leonard Goldberg. Even if it is not still official the shootings will start in Autumn 2010. Good time for those brands (fashion, accessories, design and motors in primis) that want to make a long brand integration.

• 16dic

   IT HAS BORN “UNDERCOVER” THE NEW SERIAL BY JJ ABRAMS

  Product Placement, Serial, TV No Comments

   

   The first to talk about “Undercover”, about a month ago, was “The Hollywood Reporter”. Only 4 or 5 lines to say just one interesting thing: J. J. Abrams will direct the pilot episode of a new concept of serial. Until now the insiders have just called it as “the Abrams/Reim Project” but now we know something more. And the news is very important considering that JJ has been directing things such as “Mission Impossible”and “Star Treck” or produced cult serials as “ Lost” and “Alias”. Even if it is not explained in the article, “Undercover” is about a funny spy couple. You do not have to campare it with the 80s comedies such as “Hart to Hart”or “Remington Steele” (Pierce Brosnan has begun from here). It is more a mix between ” Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “The Bourne Identity”. Since yesterday the operations of product placement have begun. To be present in the first pilot episodes is one of the best chances one can have to obtain great visibility. Because they have lots of public, last the double than a standard episode and because if the serial gets success, they become “a must”. And even more when the serial is produced and directed by a “Successful Producer”.

• 15dic

  PopFilm

  Brand Integration, Creative Utilization, Marketing, Placement Popularity, Product Placement, TV, movie, music No Comments

  
  - The best free videos are right here

   This interesting speech by the journalist Stefania Carini published yesterday on the portal “Corriere.it” relates, maybe for the first time, about the close relationship between the pop music and the serials. It has been talked a lot about the movie sound-tracks from Hollywood, Europe and Italy, much less about the relation between the music and the coreography in the Bollywood productions, where it is not so unsual that the CD copies are sold in a greater number than the tickets of the movie itself.

  What connects the music singers to the serial itself is something much more substantial. Sometimes the artist can play the role of him/herself in the plot (Ally McBeal, Las Vegas, Eli Stone, Dharma & Greg, etc.) or a different character well integrated in the story itself though mimicing him/herself a little bit. In “Will & Grace” this has happened each season, with famous artists such as Madonna, Elton John and Janet Jackson. In both cases when this marriage is well amanged it becomes a sort of academic declination of “Win-Win” logic, so loved by the Americans. That is both can profit from such a collaboration, even the public itself. The production enriches the episode in quality with the presence of a hit or a famous character, thus enlarging even its public with that part of fans that otherwise would never watched the serial. The artist employs such a way to give visibility to his/her character, to pass his/her music on a different channel towards a public not so easily reachable and maybe he/she realizes even to be a fairly good actor.

  It is useful to note how often the music and TV Productions address to the same agencies of product placement. In the next future the serials, that in the USA are called TV Shows, will become a little bit comedies, a little bit musical and mall. At the beginning people will shout at the scandal but this has already happened when we have moved from theatre to cinema to TV to the web serials. Later on all these instruments will find out their proper spaces, languages and nature. And those who still want a scandal will look for it somewhere else.

• 10dic

  SPIDERMAN 4: THE COMPUTER GRAPHIC HELPS PRODUCT PLACEMENT

  Brand Integration, Hollywood, Product Placement, movie No Comments

  
   
  “SpiderMan 4” has just begun its production these days. The shooting instead will be on January the 4^th in the Universal Studios, recently built up after the incredible fire last June. This will be in fact the first ciak since then and the main characters will be again Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, directed as usual by Sam Raimi. For the occasion in the backlot of the Studios 9 blocks of New York will be faithfully set up, representing three different areas of the city such as: the Greenwich Village, the IV° Avenue between Uptown and Midtown and Wall Street. Considering the huge use of the computer graphic, the Production has decided to increase the sets of the movie (window shops, road bills.. etc) with Companies logos or brands interested in product placement. Such an operation is perfect even for brand integration plannings, well loved by the marketing agents of the Universal. Products such as jewels (of which the studio has asked for a great amount), clothes, design, accessories and electronics can be the perfect candidates for such a chance, one of the most safe and efficient for the blockbuster category.

• 04dic

  THE NUMBERS OF “2012”

  Hollywood, Product Placement, movie No Comments

   “2012” by Rolan Emmerich is definitevely lucky. During the first week-end it has collected 65 millions of dollars only in the United States. Even though the amount is huge, it is nothing in comparison with the incredible distribution in more than 105 Countries for a total of 225 millions of dollars in just 2 hours and a half. This means that in 2 hours after its getting out, the Sony production has already got back of the production costs (200 millions of dollars n.d.r.).
  Obviuosly we are not interested in such numbers but in the great work behind: a new marketing strategy that has bet everything on the web and the search engines without occupying too much the first places but making the visitor eager to discover here and there the promotion… Even the choice of the subject has been quite bold but it is exactly for this that Hollywood is a great machine of dreams (and money). Congratulations even to Baci & Abbracci, that has been able to dress the main actors of the movie in many important scenes with the help of Alist Entertainment in Los Angeles, the Product Placement agency that has managed this great operation. One year ago this young and bold brand had got faith in this opportunity and now it has been gathering the success throughout all the 105 Countries where the movie will be distributed this week.

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