Opinion

Delivering the goods

By Roger Pulvers

"Die Another Day," the new James Bond thriller, is being released around the world. Most people will go to this movie to marvel at the heroic dynamics of sex and violence. As American technology develops its methods - be it the technology of the special effect or the deadly weapon - the ability of its creators to devastate an audience becomes the envy of the world.

As for me, I am deeply envious myself when I go to see films such as the ones depicting 007, that macho mole. But I have a confession to make to you, dear reader. Being a happily married man, I am not envious of 007's prowess with the ladies. And being a bit of a coward, I am certainly not envious of his talent for jumping out of airplanes or skiing off the cliff of a Swiss Alp.

My excitement from watching these films comes from counting the number and kind of products that appear in them. Having heard that this new 007 film has more commercial products in it than ever before, I tell you, I am chomping at the bit to get to the cinema.

When companies pay the makers of films to put their products - cars, breakfast cereals, watches, beer, what-have-you - on the screen, working them skillfully into the story, they are practicing what is called in the industry "product placement." You can be sure when you see a product in a Hollywood movie that it is probably there thanks to a hefty "investment" by the product's company in the film. The film producers get their dough, and the companies get their exposure to a mass of cashed-up consumers.

This is capitalism at work, naked and beautiful; and what world could be more delightful than a world in which Art and Money combine so gently and naturally!

In fact, I predict that this variety of product placement will soon become the norm in other areas of human activity.

It cannot be long before churchgoers, a captive audience second to none, will be exposed to the gentle forces of product placement. Open your Holy Bible and on the top of the page will be a tasteful ad for instant coffee or chocolate chip cookies. Of course, at first only the pages with the more popular prayers and hymns will carry these ads. At the end of the sermon, your priest, reverend or rabbi may discretely recommend a post-service lunch at the local family restaurant or deli. It's coming, my friends!

But the ultimate product placement will no doubt be in the sensational theaters of war. Unmanned drones will carry colorful ads on their underbellies so that you can know what kind of car you should drive before yours gets blown to smithereens. And in the near future, missile launches will be filmed in slow motion so that the painted signs on them can be read by people watching the news on television. For the companies advertising on the missiles, it will only be 15 seconds of fame. But what publicity! ... and what fabulous financial support for a war effort.

Advertising on missiles would be product placement if there ever was such a thing.

It's coming, my friends ... the evolution is nigh!

Shukan ST: Jan. 24, 2003

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