Product placement is a form of advertisement in which the product appears in context as if it were part of a scene so that there are no interruptions.. These forms of advertising have be
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English Toolkit 1 - Communication
Have you ever wondered why there are so many ads
present in mass media? The purpose of advertising is
to offer goods and services and make them attractive to
possible consumers Bearing this in mind, advertising
agencies have found a way to reach a large number of
people by presenting merchandise in television, radio
and the Internet But they have gone even further so as to
achieve their goal without bombarding the audience with
commercials
Product placement is a form of advertisement in which
the product appears in context as if it were part of a
scene so that there are no interruptions Sometimes, it is
not the product itself, but actually an ad for the product
that is present This is called advertisement placement
These forms of advertising have become very common
in films The idea is that scenes resemble real life with
real products, which are not the focus of attention but are
clearly visible Spectators can see characters buying or
using certain merchandise, or even making comments
about them
This tendency brings profits to both the company brand
and film productions Sometimes, product placement
helps reduce the cost of the film because there is not financial compensation for the products advertised For example, some productions have used manufactured goods —such as electronic devices, food, clothes or means of transport— and then, given them back without having to pay for them There have been occasions in which products, such as cars, have taken on a leading role, together with the main character Actually, the automobile
is one of the most common product placements in films
It is important to notice, however, that some product placements have not had successful outcomes on the big screen This has occurred because their presence has been too obvious or of no relevance to a particular scene Due
to adverse effects like these, viewers may feel that they are watching a commercial instead of a film
When a product blends into the scenery, the audience naturally accepts it and does not become conscious of its presence Probably, this has also happened to you when watching films Now that you know what this form
of advertising is about, you will surely recognise various product and ad placements in the future
Advertising in films
Activities
1 Read the text and answer
a How do agencies advertise products in films?
b What is the difference between product and advertisement placement?
c Why are these forms of advertising effective?
Sex and the City / New Line Cinema Speed Racer / Warner Bros Pictures
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English Toolkit 1 - Communication
3 Complete the diagram with words related to films
Classify the films mentioned above
Are they action / adventure films,
comedies, dramas, sci-fi films, horror
films, etc.?
4 Give examples of films in which product placement promotes…
2 Circle the verbs in the Present Perfect and write a list
of the irregular past participles
5 Work in groups Imagine you work for an advertising company
and have to design an ad to place in a particular scene of a film
Remember that it has to appear as part of the scenery!
Consider the following guide before getting to work
Choose a scene of a famous film in which
the advertisement will appear and describe it.
Decide which product you will advertise.
Design a plan for the advertisement: what
pictures and words will you include?
Films
a …an automobile and it appears as a character:
b …computers which have an important role in the story:
c …food or drinks:
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