And the reality today is a world of brands

Gone are the days where individuals wisely sat before the position to look at advertisements... Today the Viewer is "zappeur." And practitioners lament on what they call "media fragmentation." Lecturer in marketing at the Sorbonne, Jean-Marc Lehu intends to provide a cure: product placement. In his book "the advertising is in the film" coming out these days in the Editions of Organization (1), he toured this tactic to insert in the cinema but also in the novels, songs, or even video games, the brand of a product in sound and image. A way, according to him, to give more reality to the scene but above all to lead a less coarse promotion in these times of bidding marketing.

As opened the Cannes Film Festival, the opportunity will be given to measure the connection. For some enterprises broken technique, Twine is certainly not new: "in 1963, is a distributor of beverages Coca-Cola allowing Peter Sellers to stop a time the infernal machine of the"Dr. Strangelove"of Stanley Kubrick.". In 1981, the legendary bottle just spice up the life of the bushmen in "The gods have fallen on the head" of Jamie Uys (...) "It is a true story of love that binds Coca-Cola and the universe of the film (...) the mark often contributing to more close", notes Christian Polge, President of Coca-Cola France in the preface to the book. And to show how the mechanics is straightforward transatlantic "when Spielberg harvest 25 million for"minority Report", this is equivalent to the salary of Tom Cruise", said Jean-Marc Lehu. Investments in investment products in the media are thus passed in the US of 512 million in 1984 to 3,458 billion in 2004, according to firm PQ Media. A figure which should still double, according to this source, the 2009 horizon.

But for most French companies, it is still at the age of stone of product placement. And this is especially to them to address teacher's speech: "the mark must be able to fit and participate in entertainment." "All that the consumer the memorizes and associate it in a pleasant, that very moment businesses so hard to pass our days". Above all, he wished to explain that a simple investment is not enough. Need to integrate the brand to the action, and especially to emotion "so that the best placement is that person really so note it is necessary." "It is memorized and will return to consciousness in a situation to purchase or consumption."

First pitfall to avoid: do not insert a product or a mark once the scenario come full circle. The best strategy is to have need for consistency of action or of the subject.

A win-win contract

In the United States, for example, product placement agencies publish on websites projects of producers. "Despite high prices, in 2005, for the"desperate housewives"series, three or four possible additional investment opportunities saw stand 250 advertisers." Yesterday was a very simple agreement, or even a handful of hands, looks more and more a communication process complex to put in place to achieve a specific objective. "In Europe we still do the placement as in America it twenty years ago", said Jean-Marc Lehu.

Now, believing in the dream to leave reality. And the reality today is a world of brands. Thus, outstanding matter, 007 character needs the names of all the days to recreate reality... of travel with a Samsonite, driving Aston Martin or wear a Rolex or an Omega. Do not believe so long as the company has necessarily bullion his ticket: "When the Bollinger champagne is in James Bond, there is no financial transaction." But the brand is extensively used espionage films icon in its communication. "When on the other hand it is Pierce Brosnan is an Omega, where a contract locks the use of the image of each of the protagonists," explains the author.

In many cases, the contract is win-win: hand brand promotes the film using his images or its actors in its communication, the other film collects a credibility or even a touch of humour. As Bridget Jones eating ice cream and responding to his girlfriend on the phone "I'm home with Ben and Jerry", implied two charming young men while it's brand of Ben & Jerry's ice. "In France, on plate still too brand instead of playing with." But we must also recognize that the Director is more decision maker in this matter than the producer. Hence sometimes difficulties to come to terms with the artist. At the time, is better not to be to be included in a bad position. "We must remain prudent and pay for the result", is in custody specialist.

And should not forget the extreme maturity of consumers, those that fill movie theatres: "by inviting in a film, a brand can contribute to its entertainment." "In to taking the film or even a simple scene to an advertising spot hijacked, it net breaks the emotional connection that could offer him a virtual integration", concludes Jean-Marc Lehu. The advent of mark as stars agents agents thus predicted for tomorrow.