Product Placement

Many brands have been focusing their communication on the product as the protagonist of their digital content. But creativity makes the difference.

The term product placement began to be recognized in the mid-1980s, but this communication technique was used even before the birth of cinema.   

Whereas previously products and brands were advertised explicitly in well-known films and series, today this is done in increasingly subtle ways.

There are examples that we all know, such as in the movie Superman with the brands Marlboro and Coca Cola. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkfUUqowQjA)

In 1982, in the movie E.T., Coca Cola also featured prominently alongside other brands. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfAzUAxWELU)

One of the most successful examples was Barak Obama's 2008 US presidential campaign with Burnout Paradise on Xbox 360.

The results were astronomical and led to levels of engagement many positives with the intended target such as a young people voting en masse in the presidential elections.

The most recent example is Hyundai, which until 2017 had a partnership with Netflix for series such as Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, among others.

This shows how brands can and should be present in consumers' daily lives and adapt to this reality, in this case by reducing the frequency with which they appear in films and investing more in series, for example, with strategic partnerships.

Thanks to this adaptation and constant study of the market and trends, social networks are now used as essential tools for communicating with consumers and product positioning is now present in the user's day-to-day life.

Brands have been evolving and becoming more and more creative in executing the product placement and in the production of sponsored content that goes largely unnoticed.

American Express as a good example of creativity

A American Express ( https://www.instagram.com/americanexpress/?hl=pt) is a brand that places its product as the common denominator in the construction of the feed of Instagram and publishes inspirational everyday moments and images shared by users, with the card as the protagonist.

Always with the various brand cards contextualized in the scenarios created, this is a strategy that allows the product to be communicated in a relevant way, in a channel that thrives on image and moments.

As we know, video and images are increasingly valued in the digital universe, since as users we have little time to read extensive content and intuitively crave diversity and easy reading.

Being present in the user's day-to-day life can be a useful and successful strategy, providing moments of inspiration and even curiosity with content that escapes traditional advertising.

As consumers of digital content we are truly bombarded with advertising on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and other platforms. But this new way of advertising the product, focusing on the experience with a less commercial approach, is an asset that is clearly gaining followers.