Brands and movies

Today in class, we talked about the product placement. Lots of brands decide to insert or announce their products in series or movies, because these insertions yield lots of visibility.

So while we were in class I was thinking about the movie “I am Sam” in which starred Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer and Dakota Fanning.

I don’t know if you have watched the movie yet, but briefing the plot, Sean Penn is Sam Dawson, a mentally impaired man with the mentality of a 7-year-old, who impregnates a homeless woman that abandons the daughter and Sam, leaving him alone in the raising of the little girl.

So Sam Dawson has a part-time job in Starbucks. And here comes the interesting part. If you watch the movie the entire opening sequence is an extended advertisement for Starbucks. Moreover this coffee brand, later fill more frames of the film. 

This is a clear example of explicit and sometimes even abusive product placement, where is obvious that Starbucks must have paid a great amount of money for prominent screen time.

Here I leave you a video where you can see one of the Starbucks’ scene.

Cheers.

Paula Cid =)