From the International Herald Tribune this week: Louis Vuitton took part in its first “film collaboration” this year by giving director Wong Kar-wai carte blanche to use its products however he wanted in his new film “My Blueberry Nights,” which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival two weeks ago. Louis Vuitton participated (at the request of the director) because the road film matched brand values. LV president Yves Carcelle said, “The greatest voyage in life is one of self-discovery, and we wanted to be a part of that. It fit well with the identity of our brand.”
Subtlety is the key for successful film branding. The film uses Louis Vuitton apparel and accessories (including a LV key chain, blueberry-colored dress and luggage) in pivotal scenes, but it’s never actually about the products.
According to Leeza-Maria el Khazen, the founder of Reelbranding, a product placement firm: “The worst thing that can happen is that the audience feels like it is watching a commercial. It can have a very negative effect on the film and the brand because it draws the audience out of the movie. Sometimes it’s kind of shocking.”
The article mentions several successful efforts in film branding, including Armani’s dressing of Richard Gere in the 1980 film “American Gigolo” and Daniel Craig’s wearing (but never mentioning by name) Brioni suits in the latest Bond film “Casino Royale.”
In discussing “Casino Royale,” the article doesn’t mention Sony, by whom I personally felt offended while watching the film. Sure, Sony owns the movie studio so you might expect some “synergies”—but the blatant and constant use of Sony computers and Sony-Ericsson phones in the film, along with product tie-ins outside of the film, really did draw me out of the movie and make me resent the company behind it.
The lesson: content producers, if you’re going to place products at all, keep it subtle and don’t compromise your artistic integrity!
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