I guess whether we choose to accept it or not brands are a part of everyday life. So it is understandable that in any attempt to recreate the minutia of everyday existence on the silver screen a big name product would have to appear somewhere along the way. In most instances there might be a throwaway line or even a quick shot in the background helping to place the film historically without too much attention.

Unfortunately there are those clear instances where the artistic medium is merely seen as an opportunity to mask what is little more than an infomercial and pass it off as entertainment.

Realism and downright manipulation converged as corporations very quickly realised that in a cinema we don’t have the luxury of simply switching channels and that as a captive audience we are far more susceptible to their conniving marketing ways. It is with a great deal of irony that this great initiative of evil genius seems perfectly suited to the world of James Bond, a film known for its endless product placement.

We have looked at the filmic instances where artistic credibility went out the door for a quick buck. It might be important to note that we do not oppose or endorse any of the products mentioned below.

10. I Robot (Converse)

Painful in its blatant advertisement and immediately makes the film look like a big commercial. Never has so much of a movie been dedicated to someone’s footwear without it having even the slightest link to the plot. Will Smith should know better.



9. Evolution (Head and Shoulders)

As an alien life form evolves to engulf the planet a group of scientists discover that only the secret ingredient in Head and Shoulders shampoo will destroy the extra terrestrial menace. An awkward joke that’s dragged out for the entire final act is clumsily handled and ends with what seems like a parody but due to the absence of laughs just comes off as cheap product placement. Despite this I still think the film is highly underrated and the first half is pretty funny.



8. Mission: Impossible (Apple)

In an attempt to boost sales Apple paid big bucks to have Macs pop up in the film and become the laptop of choice for superspy Ethan Hunt. Unfortunate for many reasons but I’m incredibly curious to find out whether anyone bought a MacBook simply because Tom Cruise used one.



7. Demolition Man (Taco Bell)

In the future Taco Bell restaurants will have taken over the fast food business as the sole survivor. Legend goes they paid an insane amount for this strange plot privilege which is neither funny nor a very good ad for the franchise.



6. Casino Royale (Omega)

The Bond films have always been blatant attempts to push products but it seems to be reaching new depths with the latest chapters. Look at this witty exchange about a certain brand of wrist watch.



5. Back to the Future I-III (Pepsi, DeLorean, Nike and many more)

There are many brands that infiltrate this much loved trilogy but none more so than Pepsi. What’s worse is that the brand is used continually as an ongoing joke to place the film historically and led to a series of ads starring Michael J Fox. I understand the full of effect of this first hand because I switched to Pepsi from a Coke household due to this film’s unruly influence.



4. The Island (Apple, Puma and many more)

While unofficial, it is reported that this film has the most product placements of any film. This montage illustrates the point quite well.



3. Cast Away (FedEx and Wilson)

Director Robert Zemeckis claims that the unbelievable overuse of these two brands was simply for added realism, the skeptic in me continues to see this as one massive ad for the delivery company. It was so obvious that FedEx felt the need to create the following to make light of the situation.



2. E.T. (Reese’s Pieces)

In a film aimed primarily at children they made ET’s favourite earthly delight a well known brand of candy. A ringing endorsement if I ever saw one.



1. The Wizard (Nintendo)

An entire movie based around Nintendo where the console company manages to place an ad in almost every scene. It’s incredibly dated but still fun to watch for the “so bad it’s good” factor.