How You Product Placement Results Could Skyrocket
Reboots and remakes. You either love them or you hate them. However, they are undeniably some of the most watched pieces of content on the planet. Research shows that viewership and box office numbers tend to be much higher for these pieces of content than for originals.
How much more successful are reboots and remakes, and how can you profit off them? In this blog, Hollywood Branded will discuss how much more successful your branded entertainment campaign could be in reboots and remakes, and take a look at three worthy examples.
The History Of Reboots And Remakes
What’s the difference between a reboot and a remake? A reboot is a TV show or film that’s storyline is being picked back up where it was left off years before. A remake is a reimagined version, or redone version of the original storyline, which often involves changing parts of the plot. Both methods of content remaking content have grown to be monetarily successful over decades of practice.
One of the first famous TV show reboots was Superman. The original series ran from 1953 through 1958, titled “Adventures of Superman.” The death of the starring actor in 1959 caused the show to be canceled, which left thousands of fans heartbroken. You can imagine the joy and boost in viewership when the show concept was re-visited in 1966. “The New Adventures of Superman,”came out almost a decade after its original ended and ran for four years until 1970.
For decades after that, TV show reboots continued slowly. However, movie remakes were happening more and more often. Movies like Flubber, Godzilla, and 101 Dalmatians were being remade in the late 1990’s to appeal to a modern audience.
They became beloved by a younger audience who watched them as children but were criticized by adults who preferred the originals from the mid-20th century. Then came Freaky Friday, Ocean’s Eleven, and Hairspray in the early 2000’s. These three movies became instant beloved classics and surged the popularity of remakes.
Now, movie remakes are more successful than ever, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars more than the originals. Because of their success, TV show reboots are on a recent rise. Especially since 2021, more and more reboots have been announced. And with these new announcements come dozens of lucrative business opportunities.
Whether the film or show is a success or failure, your brand is guaranteed to be seen by millions of eyes on screen. That type of exposure is hard to come by, and is only possible with promising reboots and remakes like these.
Product Placement vs. Brand Integration
What is the difference between product placement and brand integration, and does it really work? Product Placement and Brand Integration are an advertising and public relations technique used by companies to organically promote their products and services through appearances in film, television, music video or digital media. Both of them can be considered branded marketing.
To differentiate the two, Product Placement is the process through which an advertiser integrates a product into selected media for clear visibility. Although the product is visible, it is often not the focus since it needs to fit almost seamlessly into the context of a scene or story.
Brand Integration on the other hand, is defined as a special type of placement in which the advertiser’s product is central to the program’s plot line. The brand is interwoven within the script, calling out specific product functions, showcasing unique features and the product is showcased on-screen to a high degree. This typically only occurs with a cash fee; media buy or significant production provisioning resulting in production savings.
Both will organically boost your brand’s reputation and get viewers thinking about your product or service. Depending on your budget and your goal, you can use either strategy.
Branded Marketing Examples In Recent Reboots
With the growing availability of TV show and Movie reboots, there are product placement and brand integration opportunities around every corner. Here are three recent examples of released content that included several product placements.
Gossip Girl
The Gossip Girl reboot was a big product placement success when the first season began to air this past July. To keep the high society aesthetic and try to create a believable reality for the characters to interact in, several brands were carefully partnered with the show—including one of our clients, Canned Water 4 Kids.
- Luis Vuitton
- Jimmy Choo
- Gucci
- Juice Press
- Canned Water 4 Kids
- Apple
To see screenshots of the placements, courtesy of productplacementblog.com, click here.
Friends: The Reunion
This film had the power of nostalgia and fandom in one package. The original series was one of the most popular scripted shows of its time, amassing millions of fans over the 10 years that it aired. The series finale episode had 52 million viewers in 2004. Although Friends: The Reunion was not a reboot of the original plotline, there were still plenty of opportunities for brands to be integrated into the original set. Here are those that are the most notable.
- Nutella
- Fiji Water
- Ferrero Rocher
- Cuisinart Coffee Maker
- Guild Guitar used by Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe)
To see screenshots of the placements, courtesy of productplacementblog.com, click here.
Space Jam
Space Jam: A New Legacy is the sequel to the original 1996 film, Space Jam. The sequel follows the Looney Toons characters as they assist LeBron James in his fight against AI villains. The plot closely follows the original which involved Michael Jordan fighting against cartoon aliens. The 1996 film grossed $250 Million worldwide, while the numbers from the 2021 film are still to come. Both films had lots of opportunities for brand integration and product placement. Here are a few that were featured in the 2021 sequel.
- Nike
- Red Vines
- Warner Brothers Studio
- Nintendo Gameboy
- Mercedes Benz
- Dell
- Bose
To see screenshots of the placements, courtesy of productplacementblog.com, click here.
Use Reboots and Remakes To Your Advantage
Those were just some of the hundreds of reboots and remakes that will come in the next 10-20 years. All you have to do, is create a partnership strategy to benefit from them.
Starting a product placement or brand integration campaign is not easy, and requires valuable connections in the industry. That is where an agency comes in. Agencies like ours have been working in the industry for decades and have the expertise to help your brand navigate the tricky world of media.
There are a few things you should consider before jumping right in and hiring an agency. First, you need to have a clear idea of who your audience is, and what type of media would best reach them. Second, you need to have an idea of how much you are willing to spend on a partnership, this will determine the length and amount of integration. Once you have thought about both of these aspects, you can start discussing opportunities.
Keep in mind, product placement and brand integration partnerships take a lot of planning, and a lot of patience before real results can be seen in your sales or overall brand awareness. All good things come to those who wait.
Benefit Your Business Strategy With Branded Marketing
Now that you know a little bit more about brand integrations and product placement partnerships, you might be ready to add something new to your marketing strategy. If you want to know more about both types of branded marketing strategies, check out some of our other agency blogs.
- Product Placement Versus Brand Integration Explained
- How Much Does Product Placement Cost
- 4 Product Placement Case Study Sales Success Stories
- 10 Surprising Reasons Why Brands Do Product Placement
- James Bond Product Placement: The Definitive Timeline Of Brands In Bond
If you're thinking more seriously about incorporating a product placement partnership to your business, check out our infographic. We have more than 25 years in the industry and a lot of information to offer you.
