Ya think? Automakers Are Steering Their Products Into More TV Shows, Films

Why not spend the money improving cars instead of wasting it on this stupid adverstising?

Automakers Are Steering Their Products Into More TV Shows, Films

By Julie Hinds
Source: Detroit Free Press

Cars are stars, as everyone in Detroit already knows.

But when it comes to product placement in television and movies, automobiles are playing a bigger role than ever before.

On a recent episode of ABC's "Alias," a chase scene practically screeched to a halt as the camera zoomed in on a Ford F150 logo.

On NBC's "The Apprentice," a Chrysler vehicle will play a role in one of the final tasks assigned to the show's contestants.

It's all about weaving products into entertainment in ways other than traditional commercials.

Sometimes, it's even about making your car a lead character.

General Motors is teaming up with USA Network on a TV movie inspired by the Pontiac GTO. "The Last Ride" will star Dennis Hopper, Fred Ward and Chris Carmack of Fox's "The O.C." - plus a vintage 1960s GTO and the newly revived 2004 model.

The project was the idea of Rob Cohen, who used a 1967 GTO in his 2002 film, "XXX," and recently filmed three TV ads for the reintroduction of the famed muscle car. The story is about three generations of a family connected by the GTO.

Filming is supposed to begin this month. The tentative air date is early June.

What makes "The Last Ride" so unusual, according to GM, is that the car was cast before the script was even written.

"We're usually brought in on something like this in the 11th hour," says Dino Bernacchi, Pontiac's advertising manager. "We're never, ever brought in in this phase of a concept."

Kevin McAuliffe, senior vice president of integrated brand entertainment for Universal Television Networks (which includes USA Network), says the creative aspects of the film blend neatly with the marketing angle.

"The content really is story-driven, with the car being the fourth character," McAuliffe says.

But some TV watchers have reservations about taking product placement to this level.

"It makes sense that people who make movies are going to have brand names in them," says Robert Thompson, professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University. "But the thing that makes it disturbing is people are beginning to conceive of filmmaking as advertising from the get-go."

Says Thompson, "This is essentially a fancy 60-second Super Bowl ad reconceived as a TV movie."

Marketing analysts say automakers are becoming more aggressive in their efforts at product placement, or the newer term, product integration.

It's a strategy that's seen as essential. In an age of 500 cable channels and TiVo, viewers are increasingly skipping commercials. Companies of all kinds are looking for different ways to get their brands noticed.

"The spot advertisement's long-term prospect is pretty grim," says Thompson. "Product placement seems to be the only viable model waiting in the wings to replace it."

In the future, product placement may become part of an interactive viewing experience.

One day, you might be able to pause the action on your digital TV and click on a car, soda or detergent in the frame to find out details like price and store locations, says Jay May, president of Feature This!, a Los Angeles-based product placement agency.

"It's scary," May admits. "Since I wear two hats, the marketing hat says, `Man, that's a great idea.' But the filmmaker hat says Alfred Hitchcock would cringe if right before the knife plunges in `Psycho,' viewers could pause to see who makes the knife. It totally breaks the suspense."

For now, product placement is just becoming more noticeable, especially on shows geared toward younger viewers.

Carmakers, in particular, are making some highly visible partnerships with TV dramas and reality shows.

Ford has linked up with "Alias," "24" and "American Idol."

The "mini-movie" ads that Ford ran before and after last year's premiere of "24" made a big impression on viewers and received kudos for being one of the most remembered auto ads of the year.

On Wednesday's episode of "American Idol," Ford unveiled its latest music video combining the show's finalists and a Ford vehicle. The "Idol" wanna-bes sang together in a Ford Escape.

"We're really working very hard to break through the clutter," says Jon Harmon, Ford public affairs manager. "You need to be creative to do that."

Chrysler's role as the automotive sponsor of "The Apprentice" involves commercials, a Web contest, and the use of a vehicle in one of the show's final contests.

Jeff Bell, vice president of Chrysler, attributes a steady growth in sales of the Chrysler Crossfire to "The Apprentice" factor. Ads for the Crossfire appear regularly during the show's opening.

"Our sales are going well because of it, I think," he says.

According to Bell, the marriage of a product to the right TV show can send an important message.

"It strengthens and reinforces a brand's image and identity," Bell says. He describes the competitive, can-do spirit of "The Apprentice" as a natural fit for Chrysler.

But for all of its new twists, product placement is really as old as Hollywood itself. As Jay May points out, early silent Western films used stagecoaches with Wells Fargo's name printed on them.

Cars have been given starring roles for decades, whether it's in movies like "The Love Bug" or TV shows like "Starsky and Hutch" and "The Knight Rider."

GM's venture on "The Last Ride" fits into that tradition.

Steve Tihanyi, general director of GM marketing alliances and promotions, says the company wants to do more projects of this magnitude. "In Hollywood we're trying to send a message that GM wants to work in a little different way from everybody else."

The message from the Big Three is clear. The cars are ready for their close-ups.

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(c) 2004, Detroit Free Press. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.