“There’s no rot that can resist, with toothpaste! It’s diamond!”, says Jacquouille la Fripouille to his table neighbors, in the chic restaurant of a castle, before starting one of the most refined gargles in French cinema. The scene, taken from Jean-Marie Poiret’s “Visitors” from 1993, is probably one of the least classy in French cinema, and did not make that much of an impression. However, there is something brilliant about it: that of making a rather risky product placement, while retaining the humor of the scene, and associating an oral hygiene product – from the Email Diamant brand – with a filthy character who came straight from from the Middle Ages, lost in the 20th century. Probably the most daring advertisement for the brand, rather discreet now, which recently celebrated its 130th anniversary.
And the film is full of product placements, from the most subtle to the most visible. “Did he empty the whole bottle? A bottle of perfume for six thousand!”, exclaims the husband of Béatrice de Montmirail in a more mythical scene with a bottle of Chanel N°5, where his wife manages to chain a “do you have a ‘pôla’… a Polaroid Jacques, ours is broken the children threw it in the toilets”, or even a “calm down Jacques-Henri! Charge my Visa!” with a very formal accent.
While it is difficult to know how much financial income these product placements brought in for the producers of the film, we know that the latter cost the equivalent of more than 9 million euros (around 58 million French francs at the time). ), which remains reasonable, for nearly 14 million cinema tickets sold (at around 5.5 euros/35 francs at the time). A success therefore, that the numerous sequels, which cost much more, have never managed to achieve. And exceptional visibility for brands.
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The gold rush and the smokey returns
If cinema is a French invention dating from 1895, the Americans manage to be the precursors of product placement. Many cigarette brands have also jumped at the opportunity to make the heroes of certain films smoke. What, for example, would Humphrey Bogart and Yul Brynner be without a cigarette in their mouths? Nobody knows. But they died from it.
However, cigarettes in cinema die hard, whether in American, French-speaking or international cinema. “Once upon a Time in Hollywood” by Quentin Tarantino will even do a fake brand placement with the fictional “Red Apple” brand to make a sarcastic nod to the practice.
Surprisingly, sweets and other symbols of junk food will have provoked more outcry and pushed the legislation of different countries to limit these product placements. In Europe, the SMA directive of 2007 gave a clear signal on this subject, in order to limit harmful foods, tobacco or medicines on the screen.
James Bond, the king of investment, and the “bad guys” of Jaguar
In the product placement genre, the British James Bond franchise is king in this area. With unique opportunistic placements or recurring brands.
And if the famous car manufacturer Aston Martin is well mentioned in Ian Flemming’s novels, its place of choice in the arsenal of the famous 007 is almost a stroke of luck for the brand.
Indeed, the producer of the first film, Goldfinger, wanted James to drive a Jaguar E-Type. Despite his appeals, the man is rejected. Jaguar, then already prosperous, had no need for publicity. And obviously didn’t believe in the success of the film. Serious error. James Bond will have to turn to the Aston Martin DB5, while the brand was struggling to make a name for itself among the prestigious manufacturers of the time. Since then, it has enjoyed extraordinary visibility and it is not uncommon for the “bad guys” of the franchise to drive… in a Jaguar. Wink, but no hard feelings, we assure you!
Fight Club: placements to destroy
Finally, among the most famous and critical films of consumer society, we find Fight Club, with the “duo” Brad Pitt/Edward Norton. The two heroes (or single character) regularly attack the brands present in the film, whether it be Ikea, Calvin Klein or even Gucci.
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So it’s difficult to know if the producers received any revenue from these product placements. But if they succeeded, it’s a nice snub to the brands, which will have fueled the film’s coffers, which will give them a harsh criticism in return. But it doesn’t matter, for brands, as long as we’re talking about them…
And that won’t stop cinema from continuing its product placement momentum. Until we get to “Barbie,” which is itself a 114-minute product placement. Prodigious, no?
-> For the more playful, find these brands in “Les Visiteurs” (this is not product placement or disguised advertising): Renault, Volkswagen, Range Rover, Courtepaille. And among the hardest to spot: Yop.
