Am I the only person that wants a pair of the Man Of Steel glasses offered by Warby Parker? Considering that they sold out shortly after their release, I’m going to say that I’m not. According to AdAge, the new Superman flick has already brought in over $160 million in product placements.
It seems as though the big screen has been taking nods from the olden days when products would sponsor a particular radio or television show to get in front of their audience. In my last post I talked about the importance of brands and how we, as consumers, are inundated with brands around us. Product placement in movies is nothing new but in the age of the consumer is it more noticeable or is it actually taken to the next level? Clark Kent wears glasses made by someone, Peter Parker apparently uses Bing and according to Star Trek: Into Darkness, in the year 2259, Budweiser is still around. And let’s not forget the dinner scene in Talladega Nights… as the camera sweeps across a dining room table loaded with every brand of fast food imaginable with labels aimed directly at the camera. Not to mention Ricky Bobby’s endorsement obligation to mention Powerade during each pre-meal grace.
The list can go on and on. But what does this mean for us, as advertisers, and our clients? Are the multi-billion dollar companies leaving the traditional mediums behind for bigger, better and BIGGER mediums? Perhaps it’s simply a motivating metaphor that we should always strive for the next big thing.
