The Use of Product Placement Within Recorded Visual Media
The use of product placement within recorded visual media.
Does it interfere with the film? And, Does it work?
When producing a film budget is a huge factor to consider. Product placement can create a large amount of the films creative budget. Film has always been used as a form of entertainment but since the 1980’s product placement has become more of a regular occurrence within this media. (The Truman Show, 1998) is a great example of how product placement is used within a film. Within the first four minutes we are shown a great example of “faux placement” where a fake product, in this case DOGFANCY, is shown to us as a popular social magazine. Within 30 seconds of this, Truman is forced against a poster advertising Free Range Kaiser Chicken by two of the shows cast. As (The Truman Show, 1998) isn’t a conventional film, instead a film where the story is one of a television show about one man and he is the only person who doesn’t know it is all fake. We as an audience are connected to the other members of the casts as we, like them, know that the whole situation that Truman is finding himself in is fake. The cast members can get away with physically moving Truman into situations where his face is promoting different items, as the film is blatant about its product placement almost mocking the placement used within other films. Just nine minutes into the film and the audience encounters its third account of faux placement. This time Truman’s wife introduces a product known as a chef’s pal, “its a dicer, grater, peeler all in one, never needs sharpening! Dishwasher safe”. Not fifteen seconds goes by before Marlon (Truman’s best friend) is advertising yet another product to us. (The Truman Show, 1998) is a wonderful example of just how much product placement goes into a film but, how, without blatant shots straight to the camera, a lot of them are just stored subliminally, causing the viewer to want or crave the item without them truly understanding why.
Does it interfere with the film? And, Does it work?
When producing a film budget is a huge factor to consider. Product placement can create a large amount of the films creative budget. Film has always been used as a form of entertainment but since the 1980’s product placement has become more of a regular occurrence within this media. (The Truman Show, 1998) is a great example of how product placement is used within a film. Within the first four minutes we are shown a great example of “faux placement” where a fake product, in this case DOGFANCY, is shown to us as a popular social magazine. Within 30 seconds of this, Truman is forced against a poster advertising Free Range Kaiser Chicken by two of the shows cast. As (The Truman Show, 1998) isn’t a conventional film, instead a film where the story is one of a television show about one man and he is the only person who doesn’t know it is all fake. We as an audience are connected to the other members of the casts as we, like them, know that the whole situation that Truman is finding himself in is fake. The cast members can get away with physically moving Truman into situations where his face is promoting different items, as the film is blatant about its product placement almost mocking the placement used within other films. Just nine minutes into the film and the audience encounters its third account of faux placement. This time Truman’s wife introduces a product known as a chef’s pal, “its a dicer, grater, peeler all in one, never needs sharpening! Dishwasher safe”. Not fifteen seconds goes by before Marlon (Truman’s best friend) is advertising yet another product to us. (The Truman Show, 1998) is a wonderful example of just how much product placement goes into a film but, how, without blatant shots straight to the camera, a lot of them are just stored subliminally, causing the viewer to want or crave the item without them truly understanding why.