Apple Tops 2010 Film Product Placement Awards

[MacRumors]

Branding website Brandchannel today announced the results of its annual Brandcameo Product Placement Awards, offering a look at the brands and products featured in the films that topped the U.S. box office in 2010. According to the survey, Apple topped the overall charts with its products appearing in 30% of the top films for the year.

Apple products appeared in 30% of all films that were number one at the US box office in 2010, outstripping product placements by any other single brand. Nike, Chevrolet and Ford all tied for second most, each appearing in 24% of top films. Sony, Dell, Land Rover, and Glock appeared in at least 15% of top films.

Apple-branded products appeared in more than one-third of all number one films at the US box office between 2001 to 2010 (making 112 of the 334 #1 films in America since 2001). That is second only to Ford (144 of 334) and well ahead of third place Coca-Cola (96 of 334).

But while Apple did manage to top the list in 2010, its performance has actually declined over the past few years from a high of nearly 50% in 2008 to 44% in 2009 to 30% in 2010. The report claims that the decline is a result of other computer and electronic brands stepping up their product placement efforts in emulation of Apple's success, with Sony's film studios even going as far as to virtually eliminate Apple products from its films, instead inserting Sony VAIO products whenever possible.

Apple also fared well in Brandchannel's reader survey of the most memorable product placements of 2010, topping the rankings with 25% of respondents citing Apple or one of its products.

Article Link: Apple Tops 2010 Film Product Placement Awards

[BigDukeSix]

I always look for product placement, and seeing Apple products on shows is always cool. What I really enjoy is when they are doing news stories and such, and the folks they are talking to are using Apple products in real life.

[Swift]

The award is, more Apple sales. A group called "Brandchannel" gets publicity by giving an "award."

The stats, I can believe. Macs and iPads are everywhere in the movies and TV, and sometimes quite rightly: it's almost a character point. The cool person has the Mac.

[rshanahan]

Makes me recall most tv/film of the 80's. Seems like every tv and tv console shown was a Sony (Poltergeist seems to be a familiar one).

The interesting thing is back in the 80's, there weren't that many sony tv (consoles) around because they were way too expensive. I only knew 1 person/family that had a Sony console.

Guess Apple is the Sony of the 2000's.

[dscuber9000]

Wow, I never noticed Woody using Snow Leopard in Toy Story 3. I do notice Macs all the time in movies, though.


Lol, he's even using Safari.

[arkitect]

Originally Posted by Swift

They give awards for this?

Just what I was wondering…
Awards fro everything these days.
Surely the extra sales generated is its own reward?

[akm3]

Whoever is doing macrumors posts today had someone slip cocaine in their cheerios.

[dark knight]

what were the chances that a mac would appear in a pixar film like toy story?
very funny.

is it always the case that apple place the these things in films at their expense or it is sometimes the case that film makers just put a cool looking phone.computer in their film?

[alphaod]

Originally Posted by dark knight

what were the chances that a mac would appear in a pixar film like toy story?

100%

[Tailpike1153]

I think somebody at Pixar would have been fired if the iMac had been canned for an HP All-in-One.

I laughed my butt off when I saw Jeff Goldblum, in ID4, upload the doomsday virus from a PowerBook. Wonder if Apple will have a portable in the upcoming Independence Day sequel.

[WiiDSmoker]

Originally Posted by dscuber9000

Wow, I never noticed Woody using Snow Leopard in Toy Story 3. I do notice Macs all the time in movies, though.


Lol, he's even using Safari.

How can you tell the difference between Snow Leopard and Leopard from the screenshot?

[Consultant]

That's because SOny pictures are forcing some of their movie makers to include sony product placements. Example, the social network, the sad fiction where a Mac user's character uses a PC.

[notabadname]

Originally Posted by akm3

Whoever is doing macrumors posts today had someone slip cocaine in their cheerios.

+1 Truly a "laugh out loud"

The rumors are flying out of this site like those old ticker-tape machines on Wall Street.

[Audiomajik]

I see macs in movies a lot. I just saw one in I Am Number Four.

[thomaus]

The best recent Apple product placement was in the little documentary on the creation of Watson on Jeopardy.

At least one of the IBM guys shows up prominently a couple times with familiar glowing white apple on the lid of his laptop. I was kind of shocked that the IBM PR guys let that get through.

[alhedges]

Originally Posted by dark knight

is it always the case that apple place the these things in films at their expense or it is sometimes the case that film makers just put a cool looking phone.computer in their film?

They always pay. Maybe not in the case of Pixar, though.

If filmmakers specifically want to put a cool computer/phone, etc. in a movie for an artistic point, they'll have one specially designed rather than using a device anyone can buy at the mall.

Interesting that Glock is at 15%, too.

[jeff1977]

Originally Posted by Tailpike1153

I laughed my butt off when I saw Jeff Goldblum, in ID4, upload the doomsday virus from a PowerBook. Wonder if Apple will have a portable in the upcoming Independence Day sequel.

Independence Day was like 1995 or something, so that was way before the Titanium Powerbook G4 commercials. Was it a coincidence? Or what I mean is, was he already voicing Apple commercials or did that start with the TiBook?

When I got my first Mac (2001 Power Mac G4 Digital Audio rev) I started noticing/watching for Apple products in media. I remember Willow using an iBook on Buffy. I think an old Sex and the City episode had Sarah Jessica Parker using the black Powerbook (Wall Street version?) and it broke down. She was so upset she wrapped it in a blanket and took it to get fixed or something.
In recent years it's been just constant with the Apple product sightings. I love it.

[bedifferent]

Don't forget television appearances. I've seen iPads used extensively for the fictional law firm in "The Good Wife", iMac's in shows such as "Bones", "Fringe" (even an iPad covered up to look like a future-istic device), "House" - all top rated shows.

I watched "Hulk" the other day, with Eric Bana, and loved seeing the old school "lampshade" iMac… can't believe that was only in 2003.

[irmongoose]

Originally Posted by thomaus

I was kind of shocked that the IBM PR guys let that get through.

You do know that IBM no longer makes personal computers, right?


On-topic: This is one of the most despicable awards ever conceived.



irmongoose

[machewcoy]

I thought it was pretty neat to see Apple products in Metal Gear Solid 4. Even the Nomad (the name of the airplane they used as their flying base) was full of Mac Pros and 30" cinema displays!!! And Otacon used a MacBook Pro to upload FoxAlive - SWEET. Hahaha =P

[Sodner]

Maybe it's because I am partial to Mac's, but I do see them in tons of TV show's and movies. Like someone mentioned, House on Fox. Last nights episode had a 13" MBP in half the scenes.

[ten-oak-druid]

Snapple?

[jeff1977]

Originally Posted by irmongoose

You do know that IBM no longer makes personal computers, right?


On-topic: This is one of the most despicable awards ever conceived.

irmongoose

And IBM used to be partners with Apple after they switched from Motorola for their CPUs.
Also, I agree that this 'award' is, well...not despicable, more just stupid. 'You win the award for paying the most to insert your products into film!'
There must be far more despicable awards out there. Does Dear Leader Kim Jong Il give himself awards (pretending they're from The People)?

[Madmic23]

Originally Posted by Consultant

That's because SOny pictures are forcing some of their movie makers to include sony product placements. Example, the social network, the sad fiction where a Mac user's character uses a PC.

There's a Mac in the Social Network. The scene where Sean Parker (played by Justin Timberlake) first sees Facebook on the college girls computer. It was a MacBook.

Also, I liked how in that movie, just about everyone was using some form of Linux instead of Windows on their PCs. It made it feel somewhat more authentic.

[puma25uk]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

But while Apple did manage to top the list in 2010, its performance has actually declined over the past few years from a high of nearly 50% in 2008 to 44% in 2009 to 30% in 2010. The report claims that the decline is a result of other computer and electronic brands stepping up their product placement efforts in emulation of Apple's success, with Sony's film studios even going as far as to virtually eliminate Apple products from its films, instead inserting Sony VAIO products whenever possible.

Can't help but thinking whether the decline is indeed other brands stepping up, or Apple simply riding the fame wave I mean, they even stopped appearing at MacWorld. Too many Apple fan-sites and corporate secrecy to keep the news churning, and publicity.

Why spend money when you have a legion of fans keeping the tills ringing, and building momentum on your products?

I love Apple products, and am in no way bashing them. As a business owner, if I were in Apple's shoes, I'd aim for a few, well-placed product placements, rather than carpeting every movie with them. I mean, long gone are the days when Apple needed to appeal to the masses, when it was regarded as a niche platform.