Shameless Product Placement
Just finished watching The Ghost Writer. Not a bad film, as it were. However, it struck me just how shameless the product placement is in this movie.
First, there is the scene where the main character takes a bottle of Smirnoff out of the fridge. Which turns out to be a bit odd, since for the rest of the film, he tends to prefer more brandy-like spirits. And in any case, the bottle catches the eye so nicely, there is no doubt of its intent. Second, the scene where the main character is reclining in an extremely spacious and comfortably-looking first class cabin onboard an airplane, only to have the camera zoom out on the plane, which happens to have a Virgin-logo on its tail. And lastly, when our friend starts the engine of his borrowed car – a BMW – only to have a voice go ‘BMW ConnectedDrive – Traffic is clear to your destination’. This incidentally happens to be the same car that opens the film itself.
Like I said, an ok film, but the product placement really was a bit too obvious here. A little more thought and subtlety would be appreciated in the placing of those logos! Not to mention more effective in reaching the audience through more unnoticed placement of those material items.
1 comment april 3rd, 2011