THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD Feature – Product Placement

Morgan Spurlock’s documentary “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” examines and dismantles the increasing phenomena of product placement and branding in the world of cinema, and the effect these blatant marketing tools have on the consumer public. His salient observations and consequent revelations expose the extent to which consumers are considered shallow and naïve, and make its audience astutely aware of their daily emersion in advertising. This film, about Spurlock’s making of a film financed entirely by through corporate sponsorship, allows a very real insight into the hidden workings and minds of brand marketers and advertising executives.

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, Spurlock’s most satirical work to date, has opened up our eyes to these advertising techniques, and it is therefore only just to retrospectively ponder over some of the most blatant product placements in film and TV history:

1. YOU’VE GOT MAIL – AOL
The reason for why this is some of the most blatant and overpowering product placement in movie history is because the entire film centres around the email connection between the two central characters via AOL. The AOL triangle (as well as the dial up tone that we have all rejoiced in leaving behind) is one of the key memories a viewer retains from the film due to its prominent placement in the love story development.

2. HAPPY GILMORE – SUBWAY
A golfer’s product endorsement provides a legitimate reason for Subway to parade their brand in Happy Gilmore. Even when parts of the logo are blurred out for supposed censorship, the same effect is created as it still draws attention to the very well known logo.

3. SEX AND THE CITY – APPLE
Carrie Bradshaw’s column provide the backbone to each and every episode of this very famous series, and from the very beginning to the bitter end, Carrie is typing on none other than and Apple Mac laptop. Its Apple symbol has run alongside her writings for six seasons of the infamous show, and without question will have influenced the electronic device choices of its viewers when connected with such an icon.

4. ET – REESE’S PIECES
The film that started the movement. One of the most famous films in existence, and made in 1982, has one of the most barefaced product placements ever seen. Even despite E.T.’s croaky alien voice, his acknowledgement of the American candy ‘Reese’s Pieces’ secured Hershey’s a huge level of exposure with one of the most watched films of the time.

5. THE MATRIX – SAMSUNG
The Matrix as a whole is littered with different, and very unsubtle, examples of product placement, however the most obvious (swiftly followed by car brands) are the Samsung mobile phones. In a film where technology, and telephone technology in particular, is heavily relied upon, Samsung has an inordinate amount of brand publicity and association with popular film icons of the time.

The Greatest Movie Ever sold is out to buy on DVD on February 27th
 

Read Cleaver’s REVIEW
For more information please check out the official Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/Greatestmovieuk?sk=info