This about it. You see someone casually drinking a coca-cola or Pepsi and think nothing about it. But if you see someone drinking a soda with a bland label of "Soda" or some made up brand; that actually gets people thinking about why aren't they drinking a real soda or WTF is that soda they're drinking? It distracts you from the plot of the movie.
shareIn a lot of older TV shows I watch, I get a kick out of the covering up of logos on food and drink packaging. On an Odd Couple, you could see they simply used a magic marker to scribble out the logo on a bag of chips. Most of the time they stick colored paper or tape over the logo.
On another show, they covered up the Coke sign on a vending machine with a hand painted "Soda" sign (the scenes were filmed on location).
The focus of real greed lies with unrestrained Government.
This isn't always true.
For example, in Pulp Fiction, they have an amusing conversation about the Quarter Pounder at McDonald's. That's entertaining dialogue about a real thing. I get that. But there is no reason for Stargate Command to use only Dell computers, or for Transformers to turn exclusively into GM cars.
I agree, and it's sort of amazing that TV and movie studios didn't start doing it way sooner than they did. Though I still notice a lot of car logos (especially Ford logos on police cars) being covered up.
On the other hand, I get a little annoyed when I can tell Microsoft paid some show to use "bing" as a verb. Or when the shot focuses a little too long on a fancy new cell phone or some other new piece of douchebag technology.
The only show that gets a pass on overly obnoxious product placement is Chuck and its Subway references.
The problem is the 'obvious' displaying in sight of the products, it lessens the film's message, cheapens it. It's like your into the story then there it is, a carefully displayed, obvious placement of a Coke bottle, Domino's Pizza, etc.
Can you fly this plane?
Surely you can't be serious.
I am serious,and don't call me Shirley
I'm fine with product placement but just don't force it like Hollywood has done lately.
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