Ad agency: I want to do more product placement, but my clients are wary of local movie flops
Inspired by Morgan Spurlock’s new film The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, an advertising agency boss has said he wants to place his clients in Australian films – but admits that advertisers are worried about appearing in flops.
Rob Belgiovane, executive creative director of BWM – which has Alfa Romeo, Kmart and Weet-Bix as clients – told Encore that he would propose product placement opportunities to his clients “whenever possible from now on”, but said advertisers are reluctant to try brand integration in Australia.
“Australian marketing is all about eliminating risk. It’s difficult, in such an eye-balls driven industry, to get clients to commit to funding – there’s the risk of being associated with a film that flops,” he said.
“When Paul Hogan made Crocodile Dundee, it was impossible to know that it would turn out to be the hit that it was.”
All you need to do is put a performance clause in the contract with the film that the film needs to meet certain box office numbers to justify the return on investment for the client. That way if it ends up in some film festival and never gets distribution theatrically or on DVD, you won’t be required to pay them.
We plan to do several product placement deals for our film, “Mull Burn”. Cadbury Furry Friends, Pura milk, Coca-cola, Fourntwenty, AFL, Arnott’s Shapes, Metro trains, Yarra trams – just to name a few.