The Future Of Product Placement In Hollywood

Have you ever been watching a movie and wondered why they chose to have that character drink a Coca-Cola, or eat a slice of Domino’s pizza (with a zoomed in view of the box) or drive a Ford (with a close-up shot of the logo)? Maybe you thought it was a happy coincidence. If you thought that, odds are you don’t know how much movies cost to make. There is a lot of funding to bring our favorite characters to life on the screen, but there is a unique way producers help fund their projects, known in the industry as product placement. That can of Coca-Cola you noticed, or the pizza box being eaten from, or the Ford pulling into the driveway, likely not a coincidence. They all probably came to be from a group of people actively seeking out product placements for the film to help with the cost. It’s a win-win for the movie and the brand, as it is a form of advertising, and it helps fund the film.

As with any advances in the film industry, there is a way to take product placement to another level. In fact, it’s not even be considered product placement, but rather product integration. A subtle drop of a name, worked into the script. The product, whether that be a brand, a company or a person, is used in the dialogue as part of the story. Don Worley, a man of many talents is helping lead the way in product integration. Worley is a lawyer by trade, but also an actor, a film financier and a self-proclaimed comedian. When Worley is not in Tinseltown, he resides in Texas and runs an award-winning personal injury law firm. When he has to put on his Hollywood hat, he is closely tied to raising money to make a movie and understands that finding unique ways to generate income can help move a project from start to finish.

At a recent table read for a new film Worley is helping to finance, and will be starring in, called Man Date, we got to see product integration in action. As the cast, along with Emmy nominated comedic writer, Kevin Schini and producer James Gutierrez sat around a table at Critical Content’s headquarters in Burbank, California, the initial script for Man Date was read. Each actor, for the first time got to recite their lines, bringing their personal finesse to their character. At one point, a real estate agents name was mentioned. A few pages later, the name came up again. A few more pages later, the same name again. To the average viewer, or in our case, listener, this would be just another part of the story. But to those in the know, it’s a perfect example of product integration. The film will have commercial items integrated into the script as well, and that is on purpose, because it helps pay for the film to be made.

That’s a little sneak peek behind the lens and into the script of your favorite films. Next time you’re watching, look for that product that gets picked up with the name perfectly positioned to the camera, or the product that keeps coming up verbally in the storyline. Without ever knowing it, you may just be enticed you to make a purchase, and hopefully it also helps you enjoy the story you are watching unfold on the screen.

To learn more about Don Worley and the film projects he is involved with visit IMDB.com. To learn more about Mr. Worley the attorney, visit macdonaldworley.com.