I love films, particularly from Hollywood’s ‘golden age’. But as the years have gone by I’ve become really pissed off with American studios in particular for the increasing use of product placement in films, a practise that has grown to be ubiquitous and incredibly brazen.

Product placement is nothing more than a marketing strategy whereby companies pay studios to position their products within films to gain exposure, thus persuading punters to identify with said products and hand over their cash to buy them.

It’s always annoying, but at least it’s tolerable when it’s fleeting, with a reference being integrated into the film’s narrative with some subtlety, thus avoiding a lot of incongruous disruption; WTF C.A.

However the problems really start when productions don’t tread lightly, and being greedy for advertiser dollars, dump placements onto the heads of the audience with a fork lift truck. No, for me what’s utterly offensive about product placement is when the studios’ disdain for audiences is such that they make no attempt at hiding it.

I could list dozens of examples, but here are three that I hate;

youtube uncharted

youtube Mac and Me

youtube Back to the future 2

Nominated by Ron Knee.