MovieChat Forums > The Last Mimzy (2007) Discussion > The most disgraceful product placement I...

The most disgraceful product placement I have EVER seen...

posted 16 years ago by blake_mooney8-1
35 replies | jump to latest

Wow, seriously, I just saw this film and I am in total shock. This movie was bursting at the seems with absolutely shameful product placement throughout. Honestly, I really don't get how ANYONE could actually like this movie based on this fact.

*spoiler*

The part at the end with the whole "intel" chip inside Mimzy (an A.I. stuffed animal from eons ahead of our current time period, mind you) I just about threw up a little in my mouth when I saw that... I seriously just don't know what to say anymore about the current state Hollywood films are in... I never EVER could have imagined product placement becoming this f_cking prevalent in movies. We even have to sit through 15 mins of ads before a movie starts at the theater now (they are even starting to put the ads on DVDs for f__k sake!)

Why people, WHY do you all keep defending and supporting these travesties? Honestly, I really just don't get it. Are we really SO brainwashed that we now accept our movies as being 2 hour long commercials...? WTF! I mean what's next, mid movie "breaks" so they can show us full length ads? For god SAKE man!

[–] duckofprey 16 years ago

Why exactly is this a problem to you?

[–] erinwolfrus 13 years ago

1. Product placement is distracting.
2. Has nothing to do with the movie, could have easily been a made up company.
3. Promotes a company via name association.
4. Detracts from story value. Directors more focused on ad revenue than on a plot that doesn't suck or wildly deviate from the book/short story.

This is heaven, this is hell. Who cares? Who can tell?

[–] maxloh-1 11 years ago

1. Does not matter if it contributes to the plot in a realistic manner.
2. Is the pivoting moment where the movie reveals that the rabbit is made by humans. A made-up company would not have the same emotional effect.
3. Same as #1.
4. Does not detract from story value. Directors more focused on making a witty and realistic way to reveal the plot than caring about people like you who have a vendetta against product placement

It was funny. Believable. Powerful. Comforting. It made the rabbit feel less foreign. It was easily the best moment of the film

http://www.maxloh.com/soundtracks/
http://smptv.net/student.php?id=101

[–] pthmichael 16 years ago

Yeah, I thought it did seem odd that Intel chips are still being used in the far future or maybe that part of the future isn't as far as we think it is.

Though the guy that the government agents were interveiwing denied everything. Isn't that what they are supposed to do.

[–] igregward 16 years ago

And here I thought they were selling us Lewis Carrol.

Actually, the worst product placement I have ever seen in a movie had to be in Torque. When the two girls were fighting near the Mountain Dew soda machine. Which constantly stayed in focus!

The best and most graceful product placement, you ask?:

The Dawn of the Dead remake and Minority Report. Seamless integration of product placement without taking away from the film. I hadn't noticed anything being promoted because everything in view seemed natural, normal, and "in place" for that society.

Honestly, if they had used fake products in those two movies, they would seem out of place and I would have quickly noticed their radiating cameos, and then would have felt the overbearing pull of this their trendy marketing strategy and soon my whole focus for the rest of the duration of the films would NOT be on the characters or the storyline or what's the signifigance of picking up the umbrella or who's next to be a zombie or those cool plasma/chartreusean energy blob guns, but of how much I'd want a cup of joe from Starbucks, but not before I get that cool, dark blue cotton crewneck sweater from The Gap to wear while drinking it. That would have been the real travesty. And I wouldn't know that the reason for the umbrella was twofold.

So it was a good thing they hadn't.

-----
"Now shut up you fool and hold me like you did by the lake in Naboo!" -- james_mongold-1

[–] xpac403 16 years ago

every movie uses product placement to expand their budget...E.T. changed the kind of candy they we're going to use based on reces pieces (or however you spell that) working out a deal where as M&M/MARS wouldn't.

"It's not personal Sonny, it's strictly business"

[–] Kimmie (353) a year ago

Keeping a backdrop in constant focus ahould just render the foreground out of focus, s fight scene where you can't see the fight is absurd!

[–] Kimmie (353) a year ago

Intel as a company isn't likely going away, so what is wrong with future intel chips?

[–] ItsEnricoPalazzo 16 years ago

Yeah that was pretty bad. I thought it would tie in to the story but nope - just product placement which I hate to see in any movie. For this film it's probably not a big deal since it's a children's flick, but it doesn't mean it's not a sad statement of the times we live in.

[–] bagofants 16 years ago

I'll agree that many product placements in many movies are as painfully obvious as the product placement gag in Wayne's World. If you haven't seen that one, check it out. It's hilarious:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7thSdlRhuM

In this case however I think using an instantly recognizable computer brand served to advance the story line quickly concerning the origins of the Mimzy. The second you see the Intel brand you instantly know that the Mimzy is not an organic being and that it is most likely from the future. This would be apparent to most children, most adults and even the OP who also instantly recognized the brand, negating the need to explain the now obvious by having Timmothy Hutton or Michael Clarke Duncan turn to the camera and say, "The Mimzy is a computer!". Although it would have been funnier if had said Microsoft and kept falshing a blue scrren that said "Fatal Error. Please restart your Mimzy. An error report will be sent to Microsoft."

[–] ItsEnricoPalazzo 16 years ago

haha, that would've been even funnier. And the Waynes World clip is great, I remember loving the Nuprin part when I saw that forever ago.

[–] lorrigirl 16 years ago

The whole movie kept emphasizing the prevelance of technology and commercialism in our daily lives. It was part of the artistry and I didn't have a problem with it because it tied in with the message.

[–] general_kaiden 16 years ago

that scene wouldn't have as much impact if it were a made up computer company. I know it is a little like product placement, but that segment wouldn't have worked without a real electronics hardware manufacturer.

[–] lorrigirl 16 years ago

If it was a made up name, it would require explanation because we wouldn't know what it was. The goal was to have the viewer feel the same thing that the people seeing it for the first time felt. Can you imagine some made up name, everyone in the scene is stunned - and the viewer is going "why are they suprised? what is that?" And because it had to be a universally known name in computers, no one in the shot would be going "hey, what does gizmo mean?"

[–] maxloh-1 11 years ago

exactly.

http://www.maxloh.com/soundtracks/
http://smptv.net/student.php?id=101

[–] erinwolfrus 16 years ago

Don't forget the sprite can.

Hermione just likes Ron because he reminds her of Ginny.

[–] xxprincessaxx 16 years ago

ya but the whole point of the intel ship was to show that it didnt come from another planet it came from the future. it was kinda necessary.

youre taking a tiny thing in the movie that really is kind of important and blowing it up to be something that it really isnt supposed to be.

Oh and by the way if you want product placement, go watch Josie and the Pussycats

[–] Just_Hannah 16 years ago

So they couldn`t have invented another "earth bound" company and explained it that way?
I`m with the original poster here, I was gobsmacked by the level of product placement in the movie. Even the can of fizzy pop (Sprite I think)FFS!!!

[–] Promontorium 16 years ago

If they "made up" a brand wouldn't that be confusing to you? In a good story you don't "tell" you "show". If they made up a brand, you would have to have the characters explain in some manner that it was a common American brand. Instead they just showed you, and you can gasp, not go "huh?". There may have been more product placement than tolerable in this film, but this was a terrible example considering it only made the movie more honest showing the brand.

Edit: lol, I just reread this, then the comment after me. FIXED

It's "must have", "should have", "could have", and "would have". For God's sake there's no "of".

[–] parisel 16 years ago

For the self appointed grammar police, you sure cut yourself a lot of slack in that department. Edit yourself, please.

I guess it's like looking at clouds. You see one thing and I see another. Peace.

[–] froschekase 16 years ago

You have a good point. Hollywood is starting to push the limit on product placement in movies.

But be happy you only have 15 minutes of ads in the movies, when I go there is 45 minutes, and then the previews start.

T~O + ECSLFS

[–] JohnGaltJunior 16 years ago

I agree that product placement sucks- for instance, remember a scene with a truck in Terminator 3 with the weight-loss brand (Xantrex? or something similar) plastered all over the side, in focus and framed for at least 30 seconds? That was abusive, but in this case, who cares about an Intel logo? What possible benefit would they get out of it? Do you think anyone is gonna buy something Intel because of this, a 15-second mention? 15 seconds isn't 2 hours.

Get real. They just needed to tie in a real brand relating to the future, as somebody here already noted. Simple plot device.

I agree in principle that we are being bombarded by product placements, but in this case, much ado about nothing. And unfortunately I feel that we are going to see even more of this as time goes on, as it just puts more money into the pockets of the producers. It's another really huge potential revenue source for producers and an equally big marketing tool for the manufacturers represented.

As long as brands have identity and deep connections for us, producers and directors need to cast them into their movies- perhaps even to more impact than some of the actors!