VOTD: A Brief History Of Conspicuous Product Placement

With today's DVR culture, product placement is becoming more and more prevalent. The only way for advertisers to get eyeballs on their products, since we fast-forward through the commercials, is for those products to actually be in the shows. It's a fact of life and it can be infuriating. And when it happens in a movie, it can be even more infuriating. But also, sometimes, hilarious.

Filmdrunk has gone through some of your favorite, and least favorite, movies to find a bunch of the most ridiculously obvious instances of product placement and mashed it up all into one, nice little video. They even classed it up with some facts about the history of product placement in movies. For example, did you know that Fatty Arbuckle is credited with the first instance of product placement? Or that Michael Bay is the current king of it? Combining education, humor, and Nintendo's Power Glove ("It's so bad"), you've gotta check this out.

First thing's first. I must say, Filmdrunk, I'm offended at your backhanded jabs at classic films like Mac & Me and The Wizard. To think McDonalds or Nintendo had anything to do with those productions is HIGHLY unlikely. Though your inclusion of Demolition Man and Fight Club kind of make up for it.

Awesome job on this video. Check it out below.

Are there any major films that you can think of that are missed here? I have a feeling Coke Zero might get a mention in the comments. And if a filmmaker is struggling to reach his budget for a movie, do you really mind product placement in movies, if it happens naturally? Movie characters would, hypothetically, use brand name products in their lives, right?