Product placement has been done many times throughout the years as another means of advertising. Some may find it annoying, while others may not even notice it at all. But we are seeing it again in the new Avengers movie which comes out tomorrow, May 4th. You may have already seen the new Dr. Pepper commercials featuring the custom Avengers soda cans, but this is not the only product they have teamed up with.
The movie will feature the new Acura NSX Roadster which was said to be created specifically for the film. Acura will have their other models in the film as well including the MDX, ZDX, RDX, and TL. Movies have joined with car manufacturers before including Transformers and James Bond, so this type of product placement is not new. Placing these cars in movies can be more beneficial than regular ads because it forces people to see the product. Whereas with a commercial people can change the channel, leave the room, or fast forward if it was previously recorded. Since the car is part of the movie, people are going to pay attention and may not even realize they are being marketed to.
The new James Bond movie, Skyfall, is also coming out this year and is changing Bond’s drink of choice from a martini to a Heineken. Daniel Craig, who plays James Bond, will also be in a commercial for Heineken that will be aired globally. Going back to the Avengers, I have not read if Dr. Pepper will be placed in the Avengers film, but it would seem to be very likely. Since this movie will be shown in other countries other than the US, the marketing has been tweaked a little. For instance, the UK screenings will feature product placement for Aussie Bum, an underwear brand that is shown on a billboard in the movie.
I’m sure there will be other products in the new film that have not been mentioned, we will just have to keep a look out. Keep us posted on your thoughts and if you go see the movie let us know which products you spot in the film. If you want to watch the Dr. Pepper commercial you can see it here on youtube.com.
image sources: collectorsquest.com, audioguide.com
