We’ve all been watching a show or movie and seen a random product displayed that makes you think, is this driving sales?

To answer these questions, a basic understanding of product placement is required. According to Merriam-Webster.com, Product placement is “the inclusion of a product in a television program or film as a form of paid advertisement.”

So it isn’t quite an ad or commercial, but it still is showing off a brand that may or may not be relevant to what you’re watching. Does this work? 

According to around.org, “It’s reported that Hershey saw a 65% increase in profits during E.T.’s movie run. Similarly, Mini Cooper car manufacturer BMW saw a 22% increase in Mini Cooper sales the year after the heist movie The Italian Job featured a fleet of more than 30 Mini Coopers.”

So it can boost a brand’s profit and fund the show or movie, but is it worth it from the consumer’s view? While some product placement is subtle and you barely notice it, some feels very forced and annoying.

A great example of this is the Power Rangers film in 2017. The villain of the movie is quite literally obsessed with Krispy Kreme. There are multiple scenes where Krispy Kreme is mentioned, and in one scene, the villain is eating a donut while a bunch of action happens behind her.

I remember being 11 years old, walking out of the theater, asking my mom, “Why was there so much Krispy Kreme?” If an 11-year-old catches it, something is wrong.

Not all examples of product placement are bad ones. Subtle Apple ones aren’t bad because it’s usually a character on their iPhone. Something like James Bond’s Aston Martin is a good use of product placement. That’s okay because it’s cool and iconic.

I think with a lot of things, it’s about a time and a place, and repetition, and is one of those things. If a brand wants to sponsor the film or show and you put them in the background or let them be featured briefly, that’s ok. But if your entire story revolves around a product when it doesn’t have to, or when a new product or company is featured every what seems like 30 seconds, then there is a problem.

At the end of the day, people want to watch movies and shows for the stories and characters, not for commercials and ads; there are enough of those already.