Why Having A Fantastic Logo Matters...[Infographic]

Your Logo And Product Placement

There are some brands we simply can't work with. It's not that productions wouldn't like to use them. And it's not that they are "bad" brands that the government has specifically restricted usage of (like cigarettes.) It comes down to one reason (besides zero budgets...) and that is - bad logo design! 

And quite frankly, these brands battling a bad logo have other issues far beyond product placement, issues which extend to all of their advertising collateral as well.  In this blog, Hollywood Branded shares an infographic by Design Hill which shows the evolution of logo design and discusses the importance of logo design for product placement.

The Complicated Logo

A logo that is highly ornate, stylized, or shiny and just doesn't pop on the screen won’t work. No matter the angle it is filmed, the audience at home or in the theater just can't see it. Logos that are super metallic don't work well with set lights, reflecting the light back and distorting the image. Cursive fonts are difficult to read from any sort of distance. And fonts with a lot of detail and imagery added in are cluttered and get lost.

The Ideal Product Placement Logo

Logos that are GREAT for product placement are simple, flat designs. Even better than a name, is a brand that has a symbol that easily identifies the brand - like Apple or Nike. Why this matters is that for one, productions don't really like filling up their content with names of brands. They are selective with whom they choose, and symbols feel a lot more natural to them.

And these POP on screen, versus getting lost on the product or sign.

For an even more important reason, there is the whole TV Network Ad Sales issue. This department that oversees all broadcast TV content are major brand logo haters - unless of course, you are paying a mint to be on the screen of their content. A brand that has an identifying symbol has a higher probability of getting past the gatekeepers at these networks far more easily than a brand with an alphabetically designed logo. Brands that have both - even better!

The Logo Placement

One more important thing to keep in mind in regards to a brand’s logo is the placement of the logo. Way back in the day when I worked with Gateway computers, they had a great logo of a cow pattern. But there was one big problem. When you opened up their laptop, their logo would appear on the screen upside down! All of the computer laptop manufacturers faced this issue, and Apple and Dell were one of the first to address the problem by turning their closed-door facing-you-logo, upside down, to appear right side up when the laptop was open on the screen. An easier fix than stickering everything with a temporary, and also the right branding strategy for real-world laptop usage.

Time For A New Logo

Just remember - if your logo doesn’t pop out in real life, it’s certainly not going to be on-screen. This means it also doesn’t stand out to consumers on retail shelves, or in brand advertising.  And if you haven’t refreshed your logo in years - maybe it’s just time to do so.  The biggest brands continue to refresh and re-invent.  Pepsi, Lego, UPS, and AT&T have all re-invented their logos over the years.  New typefaces and fonts and even design techniques have been introduced that just were not even options to consider before. 

Before starting a product placement program, go back to your graphic designers and start a logo redesign. There are great options with crowdsourcing sites like 99 Designs and freelancer sites like Upwork and Guru.com too.

The Infographic

So let's check out that nifty infographic I was telling you about at the beginning of this blog...

Now That You Know How To Design A Great Logo...

Before you spend another dollar on traditional advertising, consider the use of product placement/brand integration in your entertainment marketing strategy.

And check out some of our other blogs that talk about best marketing practices for product placement and brand integration partnerships:

• 4 Common Myths About Product Placement Debunked
• 10 Surprising Reasons Why Brands Do Product Placement
• 8 Ways To Use Product Placement Assets To Amplify Your Brand Into Sales

Watch our video to learn techniques to conquer common advertising challenges!