TASK 2 – Summary in English

Product placement: advertisement or commercial revolution? Who, why, how, how much?

The system of product placement
Product placement consists in placing product from famous brands in movies in order to advertise and promote some of their products. But it can be called product placement only if there is a transaction between the brand and the producers.
Product placement is not seen the same way in France or in the United States. Indeed, in France films are artistic works so everything can be done with a product unless it damages its image whereas in the United States movies are commercial works and not any brand can be used without authorization.

Benefits and goals of product placement
Brands are social symbols and each scene implies the use of one product or another. Placing products in natural contexts allows producers to put up a plausible and immediate set for their story. Moreover it is a cheaper way to associate brands to famous actors and viewers can identify with them. Advertisers are also real financial and logistic supports for movie producers. This system benefits to both parts.
Sometimes several brands are in competition or producers have to fight to make brands come. Some brands do not really need cinema and some others do not want to pay to advertise in order to not tarnish their image.
Finally the goal is not to hide the product placement but to hide its commercial intention.

Cost of product placement
Product placement costs between 3, 000 and 200, 000 euros against 12, 000 for a 30 seconds prime time commercial on “France 2”. It is hard to determine the return on investments; in fact product placement helps more to develop the image of the product than to increase sales but implicit placements are very efficient that is why it is very important to choose the right product for the right scene.
This new system of advertisement is overwhelming the visual market: video clips and TV series