Many of thebiggest franchises of all timehave utilized product placement in their movies, and many films, especially those aimed at younger viewers, have continually used subtle product placement to influence their audience. On some occasions, this cunning form of advertising was anything but subtle, with some trulybizarre product placementdecisions being made. Whileproduct placement doesn’t necessarily make a movie bad, it can rub audiences the wrong way and feel rather exploitative if overdone to an absurd degree.
10Haunted Mansion (2023)
Haunted Mansion featured dozens of well-known brands
While it’s understandable that companies often offer essential funding for movies to be made in exchange for product placement, when it comes to a multi-billion dollar corporation like Disney, it sometimes feels like they should rein it in a bit. This was certainly the case withHaunted Mansionfrom 2023,the second film adaptation of Walt Disney’s eponymous theme park attraction. As the story of an astrophysicist, psychic, priest, and historian trying to exorcise the ghostly inhabitants of a building, this supernatural story had far more product placement than could reasonably be expected from a kids’ movie.
The harsh truth was that the product placement inHaunted Mansionwas distracting, as BMW cars, Dell computers, U-Haul vehicles, and dozens more products were shown on screen at every opportunity. This type of ever-present product placement in a movie takes viewers out of the film-watching experience and makes them feel like they are just consumers to be advertised to, as opposed to movie fans just wanting to watch a good story. Add to this the critical and commercial failure ofHaunted Mansion, and it was a total disappointment.
Haunted Mansion
Cast
Based on the Disney theme park ride of the same name, Haunted Mansion is a supernatural comedy that shares no elements with the prior films. Rosario Dawson stars as Gabbie, a single mother with a son looking to start over and happens upon a mansion that seems too good to be true in New Orleans - and her hunch proves correct. To resolve her ghostly problem, Gabbie seeks the help of a priest and a widowed paranormal expert, a psychic, and a historian to hopefully rid her home of unwanted guests.
9The Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
Tokyo Drift made product placement an essential aspect of one of its characters
As a franchise that focuses on gangs of street racers, some car-based product placement makes logical sense, although by the timeThe Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Driftwas released in 2006, this series took things too far. It was not just cars on display, as it was quickly apparent that every opportunity to advertise all kinds of producers was utilized in this film. While product placement should subconsciously affect viewers and be barely noticeable, it was truly jarring just how many items were shoehorned into this spin-off story about a troubled American teenager moving to Tokyo.
If viewers stopped to pay attention, they’d be shocked to notice products in practically every scene ofTokyo Drift. Eagle-eyed viewers would notice a bottle of Tabasco inexplicably flying through the air when Sean crashed his car, the Snickers chocolate bars that Twinkie brought to the party, and the then cutting-edge musical accessory of an iPod given serious prominence, showcasing thatTokyo Drift’sproduct placement was not just about vehicles. While it wasTwinkie’s side hustle selling consumer goodsthat allowed the filmmakers to push whatever products they desired into the film, it was impossible not to be distracted by all the ads.
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift centers on Sean Boswell, who moves to Tokyo to live with his military father to avoid jail time. Immersed in the city’s underground drift racing scene, Sean navigates the challenges of his new environment and the intricacies of high-stakes racing.
8Die Another Day (2002)
Die Another Day was mockingly retitled Buy Another Day by news outlets
From men’s designer clothing to iconic sports cars like the Aston Martin, theJames Bondfranchise has never shied away from embracing the power of product placement in movies. Of all the characters who could get away with peddling some products, the MI6 agent with the codename 007 was an obvious choice, as his suave sophistication and irresistible charm made him an aspirational icon for men worldwide. However, one movie that went too far wasDie Another Day,Pierce Brosnan’s final entry, whose blatant product placement drew widespread criticism.
News outlets like theBBClabeled the film “a giant advert” and mockingly referred to it asBuy Another Day. With countless instances of product placement,Die Another Dayshowcased everything from cars to vodka to watches. With 20 companies having paid $70 million combined (almost half the movie’s budget) for the privilege of having their items showcased in the film,Die Another Daywas a prime example of Hollywood becoming inundated with advertising within films. WhileDie Another Daywas a hit at the box office, the product placement was just one of many issues in this lackluster release.
Die Another Day
ames Bond is captured and tortured during a mission in North Korea, but after 14 months, he is exchanged for a North Korean prisoner. Stripped of his 00 status and determined to clear his name, Bond embarks on a globe-trotting quest to uncover a traitor and stop a catastrophic plot. Teaming up with the enigmatic NSA agent Jinx, he tracks down a diamond mogul with a sinister connection to his past. The mission leads Bond to an ice palace in Iceland and a high-tech satellite capable of devastating destruction.
7Cobra (1986)
Cobra featured products at every turn
Sylvester Stallone sought to rival the action hero stylings of his biggest competitor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, withCobra. This over-the-top violent action movie saw Stallone playing a no-nonsense cop named Lieutenant Marion “Cobra” Cobretti, who was not afraid to get his hands dirty and brutally kill in the name of justice. With so much gunfire and heart-racing violence, viewers may not notice just how much product placement there was throughoutCobra.
The product placement ofCobrawas in full force right from the opening scene, when a hostage situation occurred in a supermarket. Here, Stallone saves the day, but not before chugging a Pepsi in the middle of the ordeal and allowing the camera plenty of time to linger on the litany of products on display in the supermarket. Even as the embodiment of pure masculinity, Stallone even watches a Toys R Us commercial on TV inCobra. This was 1980s-style product placement at its absolute height, and it is impossible not to notice it when rewatchingCobratoday.
Cobra
In Cobra, a genius mathematician turns vigilante and uses his intellect to execute intricate crimes while police attempt to apprehend him. As the story progresses, layers of mystery unravel, leading to a gripping narrative filled with suspense and intellectual duels.
6Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
Age of Extinction won an award for most product placement in a film
Blockbuster movies are always a hotbed for product placement, but the fourth entry in Michael Bay’sTransformersseries stood out as truly absurd. WhileTransformers: Age of Extinctionmay have snubbed at the Oscars, one award it did manage to nab was an annual Brandcameo product placement award (viaThe Guardian.) This robotic sci-fi movie promoted 55 separate brands, including Armani, Budweiser, and Yili milk, and even had Chinese brands edited into the movie, specifically for the Chinese market.
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Transformers: Age of Extinction follows inventor Cade Yeager and the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, as they confront a shadowy organization and a formidable ancient enemy. Set after the battle of Chicago, the film explores humanity’s recovery and a new conspiracy that threatens Earth’s future in this action-packed continuation.
5Space Jam - A New Legacy (2021)
The originalSpace Jammovie from 1996 was truly like lightning in a bottle, as everything about it just worked, and it became a major hit at the box office and a nostalgic favorite forLooney Tune-loving Millennials. Warner Bros was keen to cash in on the nostalgia factor with the legacy sequelSpace Jam - A New Legacyin 2021, yet the results were far from successful. As a box office bomb whose humor, runtime, and product placement received widespread criticism,Space Jam - A New Legacywas the perfect summation of what not to do when making a legacy sequel.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
In 2021, the cult classic Space Jam finally received a sequel with Space Jam: A New Legacy. This direct sequel was directed by Malcolm D. Lee and features a cast of Looney Tunes characters and NBA superstar LeBron James. This release sees a rogue A.I. that captures and forces the Basketball icon to create a team to compete against its own.
4Cast Away (2000)
The Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks survival dramaCast Awaybrought to mind classic stories likeRobinson Crusoeas the stranded FedEx systems analyst Chuck Nolan must fend for himself for years on a deserted island. With nothing but product placement to keep him company, Chuck even resorts to talking to a Wilson brand volleyball, who becomes his closest friend and whose loss toward the end of the movie was a genuine moment of emotional devastation for any full-hearted viewer.
Cast Away: Did FedEx Pay For Product Placement?
Cast Away featured Tom Hanks as a FedEx executive who was hellbent on time efficiency. But did the company pay for product placement in the movie?
It’s clear that FedEx got a lot of promotion throughCast Away, as their services were central to the plot of the movie, and their logo was prominent throughout many scenes. While the company was an important influence on the film,FedEx did not pay for product placement inCast Away. However, according to a 2000 article fromThe Sacramento Bee, FedEx understandably “oversaw the brand’s involvement,” and Gail Christensen, the managing director of global brand management at the time, described FedEx as “a character in this movie” that “transcends product placement.”
Cast Away
Directed by Robert Zemeckis in his second collaboration with Tom Hanks, Cast Away tells the story of FedEx executive Chuck Noland, who strives to survive in a deserted island after a plane crash. The film, which mostly takes place in the uninhabited island, earned Hanks a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
3Barbie (2023)
Barbie was a major marketing opportunity for Mattel
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that Mattel was interested in co-producing Greta Gerwig’sBarbiemovie because it’s a great way to advertise Barbie dolls. As a movie that’s based on consumers' nostalgia that could also help popularize the toy, product placement of different types of Barbie dolls was a given. While, the truth was it also featured a great story, strong performances, and an emotional resonance subtext about the way women are often conditioned and conform to certain types of femininity in the modern world.
WhileBarbiefeatured constant advertising for Mattel, it was also an artistically rich story with plenty to say about the effect Barbie dolls have on young girls perception of womanhood, with Ken (Ryan Gosling) being a great example of the negative impact of toxic masculinity in action. Viewers connected with theBarbiemovie on a deep level, and it even became the highest-grossing film of 2023. However, one potentially negative effect of this success is the litany ofupcoming movies based on Mattel toys, which might drop the artistically fulfilling aspect and just keep the product placement.
Barbie
Barbie is a film adaptation of the generational iconic toy directed by Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the script with Noah Baumbach. The film centers on Margot Robbie’s Barbie who is expelled from Barbieland and travels with Ken (Ryan Gosling) to the real world in search of happiness. The film also stars Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, and several other famous celebrities in cameo roles.
2The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 focused on all things Sony
Tech companies often have rules they make movies follow, and Sony made full use of their power as the distributor when makingThe Amazing Spider-Man 2. This was Andrew Garfield’s second outing as the young web-slinger known as Peter Parker, and one character change audiences saw was this superpowered teenager’s love for all things Sony. Everything from phones, laptops, televisions, and other merchandise was packed into the movie. The biggest example of this was Peter Parker’s bedroom, which was filled with so much Sony tech that it bordered on the absurd.
Spider-Man’s bedroom not only had electronics, as it pushed everything that Sony was involved in, with his wall even featuring the poster for the classic Sony filmDogtown and the Z-Boys. Even in scenes that were supposed to be highly emotional between Parker and his Aunt May, audiences can still spot an absurdly large Sony TV sitting on her nightstand. Although product placement can be a good way to subtly advertise within a movie,The Amazing Spider-Man 2was anything but subtleand felt totally over-the-top.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The Amazing Spider-Man 2, released in 2014, continues Peter Parker’s journey as he balances life as Spider-Man and his relationship with Gwen Stacy. Facing new challenges, Peter encounters the formidable Electro and is reunited with Harry Osborn, while uncovering significant revelations about his past.
1Josie And The Pussycats (2001)
Josie and the Pussycats made its product placement a running gag
When it comes to product placement in movies, one release stood above them all, and that was the satirical musicalJosie and the Pussycats. This hilarious cult favorite didn’t fare well at the box office but has since gained some retrospective acclaim for the way it leaned into the ridiculous nature of the corporatization of the music industry and used its excessive product placement to make a point about the commodification of art. In line with its theme of subliminalmessaging,Josie and the Pussycatsfeatured products in practically every sceneof the movie.
This inordinate amount of product placement advertised everything from Evian water to the Sega Dreamcast, and it was hard to argue against the idea that this was a hypocritical and hyperbolic decision.Josie and the Pussycatstried to have its cake and eat it too by usingproduct placementto mock product placement. However, according toBuzzFeed, none of the brands featured inJosie and the Pussycatspaid for their products to be included, which makes this running gag feel slightly less insidious.
Josie And The Pussycats
Josie and the Pussycats follows the journey of Josie, Melody, and Val, small-town musicians who achieve stardom with their rock band. As fame and fortune come their way, they uncover a scheme by industry executives attempting to manipulate America’s youth, forcing the band to find a way to clear their names.
