Marketing Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) Podcast Series
Visit our podcast page to download the full transcript!
Vintage Logos Make Authentic (And Memorable) Connections
Movies or TV shows that take place in modern times make brand integration easy and natural.
But a huge opportunity for brands who have been around for more than a few years is using vintage logos or brand packaging as placement in period films to reinforce the brand’s heritage.
And our agency is a HUGE advocate of this practice, having worked with brands like BlackBerryand Canadian Club who both had a specific focus on ensuring period content included their date-specific products.
And why would they care when so many brands are just worried about selling in the latest greatest product? Because period product placement allows a brand to celebrate the fact that they have been successful - and continue to be (ok... we know, however for most brands this holds true where the past is not better than the present or future.)
So we've always kept a warehouse full of period-specific brands. In fact, it's considered pretty treasured by prop and set decorators to be able to easily find and get their hands on products from the yesteryears. And here's a little insider's tip... providing product that someone really needs that helps them.... puts your brand on the yes list for other projects those same people will be moving on to work with.
Mad Men's Legendary Vintage Placements
One of the most critically acclaimed and popular shows of the early 2000's depicted the advertising giants of Madison Avenue. Tackling sexism, consumerism and the changing landscape of the United States and the world, the show was a gold mine for vintage products and logos.
In fact, the main characters themselves work on campaigns for these vintage brands on everything from Kodak, to Campbell's, to Mowhawk Airlines, to even Coca Cola all with logos and verbal placements to match.
However the main two products featured consistently throughout with tons of vintage logo placement are Canadian Club and Lucky Strike. Canadian Club, a brand under the umbrella of Jim Beam, had been lagging behind in sales.
Through our agency’s efforts, Canadian Club whiskey became Draper's whiskey of choice, showing up throughout the show in almost every episode - and sales dramatically increased.
You can read our blog on our agency's Mad Men Case Study on Liquor Product Placement to see how sales skyrocketed.
Our team has become rather adept at printing out old logo labels and gluing or painting on bottles over the years. We know logo printing options and what paste works on what item quite well.
Stranger Things Means Old Products From The 80s
Within days of Netflix's Stranger Things premiere, it became a cult hit, telling the story of a strange abduction and an alternate reality in 1980s America. The TV show's style itself evoked the feeling of an 80s thriller, from the synth-heavy score to the clothes the characters wore and the music they listened to. Vintage brands were also sprinkled about, yet none featured as heavily as the Eggo waffle. When a strange girl with incredible powers and a shaved head appears out of nowhere in the forest, it turns out the only thing she'll readily eat is Eggo waffles.
Even if you haven’t seen the show, the 80s thriller Stranger Things makes everyone want Eggo Waffles after the Super Bowl commercial debut featuring the period commercial. Read our blog Eggo in Stranger Things The Magic of Product Placement to learn more about this unbelieveably great product placement.
The Twenties... The Eighties... And In Between
There are so many more examples, from a 1970s coca cola machine appearing in the David Fincher's period piece Zodiac, to a 1920s billboard for Wrigley's chewing gum behind Jude Law and Colin Firth in Genius.
And the list goes on as far as what brands have found success in period films and TV shows. As an example, Moet & Chandon have a all-star party focus in Warner Bros.' Gatsby, with a bottle that hasn't changed in the last hundred years, and brands like Tiffany & Co. and Brooks Brothers were able to expand their placements beyond the screen and into retail settings.
The Infographic
The biggest takeaway we want to share is that just because a movie takes place outside of the present day doesn't mean your brand can't effectively integrate with the content. In fact, the vintage imagery may make the logo more memorable.
Our team created this infographic which shares examples of the retro product placement just discussed.
The Marketing Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them) Weekly Podcast
Want to learn more how product placement magic happens, what celebrity event activations exist or ways influencer partnerships help your sales? Visit HollywoodBranded.com to gain access to free content to learn which key tactics best fit your brand.
You’ll find surveys, webinars, daily blogs, e-books and guides, all created to make sure you have access to the best possible marketing practices. Don’t forget to join Stacy Jones for our next podcast conversation about Marketing Mistakes and How To Avoid Them and learn how to start making that entertainment marketing magic happen for your brand!
Click here or below to access our Podcast and sign up for the RSS feed!
