Product Placement in X Men 3 (No spoilers) *edit - actually Subliminal messaging

Thirdfox

This one thing nearly ruined the whole movie for me - when the guys are boarding their plane for the last time (before flying off to San Francisco) the headrest on each plane is engraved PS3...

Absolutely no reason to put any words on the headrest expect to advertise for Sony... searching on the net apparently there were other placements made too but this one incident that I spotted just destroyed the movie for me.

Anyone else who saw the film noticed it too? (I remember thinking in the cinema "what the dickens?!?") *replace dickens with some vulgarity if you want

*edit: just realised the engraving doesn't constitute product placement, more like subliminal messaging... even angrier now :mad:, here's someone who will definitely not be buying a PS3

FillSpectre

Go back in time and watch Superman The Movie. Really really heavy product placement for Marlboro!

Not too bothered it they advertise products if there is some control and sense. I saw X3 and the I didn't notice the advertisement unlike Spiderman where it was noticable. It could have been the fact I couldn't get over X3 being so bad to notice.:D

Thirdfox

Here's a copy of the screenshot... all of my friend's missed it though... maybe I should focus more on the story and less on the cinematography...

matu

Didnt see the film but I will be looking out fot that when it comes out on DVD.
If it is the case it very band to have that placement in the film I didnt know Sony did head rests for the PS3!!!!
very odd and bad form indeed.

Iompair

I noticed that myself, I don't know was it really advertising or just a coincedence. The seats all seemed to be numbered.

FillSpectre

Thirdfox wrote:

Here's a copy of the screenshot... all of my friend's missed it though... maybe I should focus more on the story and less on the cinematography...

That isn't the playstation logo on the head rest so are you sure it actually has anything to do with Sony?

Kazaanova

Yeah, what are you on about? The seats say "PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4" etc...

thelordofcheese

Thats not the PlayStation 3 logo, for a start.
Prehaps it stands for Position 3?

Kazaanova

Oh its subliminal messaging now? This has to be a joke right?

Salmon

Yeah noticed this myself! Im not sure what the PS3 logo is supposed to look like, but I think that all the seats were numbered differently?

matu

yeah I just noticed that the logo isnt the the PS3 one, but if others that have seen it say there is ps1 and ps2 etc.... I doubt it is anything to do with Playstation.

Thirdfox

PS3 is written in a different font (Spider type I seem to recall?) to the one used in the headrest, also the 3 is beside the PS not underneath it (as in this case).

Other people on other forums have raised this question too, some are saying that it stands for position seating 3, but the point has been made why put the words on? No plot development, characters are hardly going to be fumbling for their seats. It is illogical...

At best someone just decided to put nonsensical (or lacking very little sense) writing on headrests at worse it is subliminal messaging. Up for people to judge for themselves.

Kazaanova: I am not making a joke at all.

V1llianous

FillSpectre wrote:

Go back in time and watch Superman The Movie. Really really heavy product placement for Marlboro!

Not too bothered it they advertise products if there is some control and sense. I saw X3 and the I didn't notice the advertisement unlike Spiderman where it was noticable. It could have been the fact I couldn't get over X3 being so bad to notice.:D

This is disgraceful - I miss good ole films like Harley Davidson & The Marlboro Man

Peteee

It's the number of the seat. Looks nothing like the PS3 logo.

Besides, X-Men is made by Fox and not Sony pictures/Columbia

r3nu4l

Yeah, I have to say that I didn't think that in particular was product placement for the reasons outlined above but product palcement is a reality now and I pretty much ignore it and find it doesn't effect me.

When I come out of the movies I enjoy a tasty Big Mac meal washed down with a cool, refreshing Coca-Cola but am careful not to drip any sauce on my amazingly hip and ultra-cool urban Nike trainers. :rolleyes:

Thirdfox

I don't recall seeing the other chairs being numbered PS1 et al. (but of course that is probably due to the fact that I don't normally notice headrests in films ) I seemed to recall that the other headrests either weren't shown or had PS3 on them (anyone care to find more screenshots?) It left a deep impression on me anyway.

Subliminal is funny in the way that you don't have to replicate something exactly (that would be liminal) sub means under... therefore this PS3 may be totally innocent or subliminal.

Some balanced views from other forums:
http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=1723
http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=ps3&message.id=399516&view=by_date_ascending&page=1

Narcissus

So what?

I didn't notice it whatsoever when I watched it. Even if it was a subliminal mesage for PS3, which it isn't, it's hardly in your face is it. Like Blade 3 and the ipod thing or The Island etc.

and film forum

Naos

Let us not forget Minority Report, the most blatent product advertising ever.

astrofool

wasn't the kid Leech playing on an xbox360 in the hospital?

yes he was: http://forums.nightly.net/did-anyone-else-notice-the-consoles-in-x-men-3-t40829.html

hshortt

astrofool wrote:

wasn't the kid Leech playing on an xbox360 in the hospital?

yes he was: http://forums.nightly.net/did-anyone-else-notice-the-consoles-in-x-men-3-t40829.html

Yep, I was about to say this!

Dave!

I did not notice this, and it did not ruin the film for me.

Peteee

Mear wrote:

Let us not forget Minority Report, the most blatent product advertising ever.

Except that in the case of Minority Report it served to further the plot (Making people aware of the retinal scanners)

Dudess

Mear wrote:

Let us not forget Minority Report, the most blatent product advertising ever.

No, that accolade has to go to 28 Days Later.

"Are you thirsty?"
"Yes."
"I have Lilt and Pepsi in here."
"Have you got any Tango?"
"Let's see... Yes. I do have some Tango."

"Here... You've got to eat something."
*Girl shoves box of Maltesers on the floor over to guy with her foot. Camera lingers on said product.*

:rolleyes:

Vokes

Didn't notice it but PS3 uses the Spiderman font, irc.

[Jackass]

Well, If they wanted advertising, they certainly seem to be getting it. How about free advertising by a complete coincidence? Even better

Dudess

You know, I've just realised I could really do with some asshole.

X-SL

i think you're an asshole but i've no idea why

Pigman II

I think this sort of advertising is so peripheral that it is merely a method of reinforcement ie you only noticed it because you already had some interest the product being pushed.

For example I have no interest in Playstations and didn't even notice these headrests of which you speak. Couldn't even tell you what an Xbox360 looks like either so it's news to me now that Leech was playing with one during his intro scene.

Someone else on the review thread was going on about a particular motorcar that was being heavily plugged during the movie. I have no special interest in cars and once again was obvilious to the fact I was being spammed at. Final score = Me 3 Admen 0.

I guess the moral (if there is a moral) is "stop being so materialistic" and perhaps this stuff won't bug you so much

Pigman II

Dudess wrote:

No, that accolade has to go to 28 Days Later.

"Are you thirsty?"
"Yes."
"I have Lilt and Pepsi in here."
"Have you got any Tango?"
"Let's see... Yes. I do have some Tango."

"Here... You've got to eat something."
*Girl shoves box of Maltesers on the floor over to guy with her foot. Camera lingers on said product.*

:rolleyes:

I know it's actual real evil advertising passed off a playful satire but your post just reminded me of.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biAV226wzwM&search=waynes%20world%20sponsor

Hail 2 Da Chimp

Come on i think you're all wrong, The WORTS and i mean painfully bad was iRobot... Will Smith is such a shill...

I cant get over how badly they wh0red those converse runners!
Here let maddox tell you the rest...

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=i_robot

NSFW, some swearing.

evad_lhorg

really dont see what everyones problems with this is. not like they write scripts around the product placement or change the movie. it usually just involves a prop. who give a crap. it doesnt make a movie worse than it is.

monkeyfudge

evad_lhorg wrote:

really dont see what everyones problems with this is. not like they write scripts around the product placement or change the movie. it usually just involves a prop. who give a crap. it doesnt make a movie worse than it is.

Have a look at I Robot and Blade Trinity.... the storylines are mangled to fit the product placement in.

I have no problem with real world prducts appearing and being used in a film, it adds an element of realism to the film... But when the characters take time out from the storyline to extoll the virtues of a particular product... well... it's pretty sickening.

Kintarō Hattori

monkeyfudge wrote:

Have a look at I Robot and Blade Trinity.... the storylines are mangled to fit the product placement in.

I have no problem with real world prducts appearing and being used in a film, it adds an element of realism to the film... But when the characters take time out from the storyline to extoll the virtues of a particular product... well... it's pretty sickening.

Agreed. Blade Trinity was just shocking, as was iRobot. I go to the movies for fantasty, some escapism, I do not want to be targeted by products that are already advertised elsewhere.

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

Mear wrote:

Let us not forget Minority Report, the most blatent product advertising ever.

Was just about to say that! The bit where they stopped for a few minutes in a GAP store to get clothes for the woman. Was so tempted to leave the cinema, actually started mumbling in the cinema, and was building up to shouting. Some people started throwing popcorn at the screen. Absolutely ruined the movie.

Hadn't noticed the X-Men thing, so it was at the right level.

Thirdfox - as a legal man you might know this - is it just some random piece of false information i've picked up somewhere, or is it illegal to have product placement in Irish and UK tv shows?

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

Of course the most recent classic was the Ricky Gervais Simpsons episode. All about High-Def Television and how Homer wants one of the tellies ... guess what Sky started a big push on selling at about the same time? It must have damaged his reputation quite a lot.

Beekay

why hasn't anybody mentioned the Dell tv or the merc(i think) on the bridge?

Our man in Havana

Having seen 16 Blocks recently, it seems to be one huge ad for Canadian Club Whisky. :mad:

Product placement makes baby Jesus Cry.

lostexpectation

Beekay wrote:

why hasn't anybody mentioned the Dell tv or the merc(i think) on the bridge?

the family in the car seemed to be the most shoehorned advertising, I was like who are these people huh why is camera staying on them for so long and then I saw the kid playing the consoles in the back and I was ah thats why...

WhiteWashMan

oh look, a film forum....

super_furry

Mear wrote:

Let us not forget Minority Report, the most blatent product advertising ever.

I think Blade Triology just edges it out. It was like a 90 minute long iPod advert.

monkeyfudge

I think you could argue that Minority Report was making some sort of a statement on how comercialised the future is going to be.

Mitch Connor

Anyone seen Torque (or what ever it was called - it was basically the fast and the furious on bikes....)

It had the most blatant product placement i have ever seen.

There is a scene towards the end where two of the charactors are having a 'bike fight' in an alley, which is full of rubbish and the like. Anywho, when ever they get to an end of the alley, they skid around, and the camera focuses in on them, and the 20ft advertising hording for Mountain Dew or summit like that behind them - so funny.

Kingp35

monkeyfudge wrote:

I think you could argue that Minority Report was making some sort of a statement on how comercialised the future is going to be.

Stephen Spielberg had something like eight "future experts" working for 3 years to determine what our world will be like in 2054. The whole commercialised world is what they came up with. I actually thin the product placements enhanced the realism of a future world.

monkeyfudge

I always love what they did in Repo Man. They couldn't get any companys who wanted their products featured in the film, so they just made up generic packaging for everything... so you have cans of beer with just 'BEER' writen on them and bags of chips with 'CHIPS' writen on them. Very funny.

And the Josie and the Pussycats film (Which is actually really, really good by the way) completely takes the piss with product placement and slaps it in all over the place as a running joke.

Dudess

Brilliant! And thanks Pigman II for giving me such a good laugh with that Wayne's World clip!

Earthhorse

I don't know if this is true or not but apparently Heineken partly financed David Lynch's Blue Velvet.

After a while they were eager to see whether the product placement was actually in the film so Lynch had the hero (Kylce MacLachlan) order one in a bar scene. The suits departed, happy with the plug.

Of course Lynch didn't show them the final version in which the immediate reaction of another character is "Heineken? You don't drink that p*ss do you?".

Dudess

Oh yeah! Saw Mark Kermode talking about that! Nicely done, Mr Lynch.