Archive for the 'iTVX in the News' Category

By iTVX Staff

Cracked.com’s Jeff Steinbrunner took on the product placement industry with his story today on the top ten shameless product placements of all time. Continuing our take on the story, here’s #4-2.

At #4 is I, Robot, which has been blasted for its blatant brands it seems every since it came out. The film is singled out for its Audi placement which boasts - according to the story - over four minutes of screentime. Another talking point is Will Smith’s Converse All-Stars which are on full display. Nike takes the blame there in that it had just purchased Converse, so the writer points out that filmmakers with that company sold out. There’s very little I recall of the film, but I do remember the Converse scene which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. What was your take on this movie?  #3 below the fold. Read the rest of this entry »

In a battle near the end of box-office smash Iron Man, the villain is stomping on the hero when an Audi R8 smashes into the bad guy, knocking him off balance and allowing Iron Man to escape. Read the rest of this entry »

When is a product placement not a product placement? When it is more like a commercial.

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By Jon Chattman, iTVX Staff,

Olga Kurylenko, the new Bond girl in the upcoming Quantum of Solace, will be used in a new campaign for Heineken along with some film scenes and sets. According to AdWeek, the Dutch beer company is continuing its partnership with Bond - most recently incorporating Casino Royale’s Eva Green in ads last Bond go round.

Quantum of Solace opens in November.

For more on this, check AdWeek

That flood of demand for high-definition digital titles may be a little farther off than some studios and content providers had hoped.

Movie-download service Vudu said this week that it will let customers renew high-definition movie titles for $1.99. The company, which offers standard-definition renewals for 99 cents, charges $3.99 to $5.99 for first-time rentals of HD titles.

“In this age of $4-a-gallon gas and ‘staycations,’ we felt that Vudu customers deserved a break,” said Patrick Cosson, the company’s vice president of marketing. Of Vudu’s 6,500 titles, about 200 are available in HD.

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ITV2 left too much US product placement in its edits of American Idol, broadcasting regulators have ruled.

Music videos featured in the final rounds of the latest series featured “prolonged” and close-up shots of Ford cars, including the interior and sometimes logos, Ofcom said.

In the US product placement is allowed, but to be aired in the UK programmes must be edited so items are not “promoted… or given undue prominence”.

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Others are trying different approaches to measure the effectiveness of brand placement. Frank Zazza, the product promoter who was responsible for promoting the placing of Reese’s Pieces in “E.T.” and putting Junior Mints in Cosmo Kramer’s hands in “Seinfeld,” now runs a firm called ITVX that seeks to measure viewer recall of product placement.

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Despite their public disdain for the idea, SAG’s leaders may agree to the majors’ request to send out their final offer to the 120,000 guild members at the end of July.Such a move could resolve Hollywood’s current stalemate by the middle of August, should a majority of voting thesps endorse the deal.

Asked on Monday about the possibility of a member vote coming soon, SAG spokeswoman Pamela Greenwalt emphasized that such a move’s the province of the guild — not the congloms. “How and when our contracts are ratified is an internal union decision,” she said.

The Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers had no comment Monday.

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NBA star LeBron James is giving an assist to Nickelodeon’s Big Green Help campaign, as a spokesperson and a character in an online mini-game.

Nick’s pro-social initiative aims at engaging children on environmental issues. In the game, “LeBron James: Worldwide Big Green Bike-A-Thon,” players help a James bike-riding avatar deliver green tips around the world. The game is accessible at www.biggreenhelp.com

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General Motors, after realigning its eight brands into four channels, is shifting divisional marketing staff.

At Chevrolet, Kim Kosak will be general director of advertising and promotions, reporting to Ed Peper, North America vice president, which is analogous to her current role as divisional manager. Rick Scheidt, previously executive director of product development, will be executive director, product marketing. Kurt McNeil, previously regional general manager in the South-Central region will now be general sales manager. Scheidt and McNeil will report to Peper.

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