Anti-Product Placement For Negative Branding 130
Posted
by
samzenpus
from the touch-of-death dept.
from the touch-of-death dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Product placement to promote your brand just isn't enough any more. These days, apparently, some companies are resorting to anti-product placement in order to get competitors' products in the hands of 'anti-stars.' The key example being Snooki from Jersey Shore, who supposedly is being sent handbags by companies... but the bags being sent are of competitors' handbags as a way to avoid Snooki carrying their own handbag, and thus potentially damaging their brand."
Re:clever (Score:1, Interesting)
Like the cast is going to give a shit even if they did pick up on it. Mike Sorrentino is poised to make up to $5 million dollars this year alone through product endorsements, his own workout video, and getting $60,000 per episode. The cast is making more money than they ever thought they would in their lifetimes, I'm guessing. Why should they care whether chanel doesn't want them as customers? There are other designer clothing makers who'll take their money, no problem. And really, how is Snooki any more of an idiot than, say, Paris Hilton? Snooki graduated HS, at least. I don't recall hearing about this type of anti-product placement appearing on any of Paris' shows. Is there some sort of, um, bias rearing its ugly head here?
When Competition Becomes Opposition (Score:5, Interesting)
Never, it seems, is there a lack of anti-capitalist rhetoric on slashdot - but perhaps it is more proper to say there is never a lack of pro-capitalist rhetoric: pro-capitalist ideals being assumed as pro-competitive.
There is something wrong when competition turns into opposition. When an entity actively obstructs the progress of another, not through a product of better fit, but through the slandering or image-tarnishing of a competitors product.
To be fair (someone has to be), evolution has shown that, as a concept, offensive advertisement works. I therefore leave it to you, the reader, to decide if there really is anything wrong with (philosophically speaking) being a skunk.
Re:Unlikely to work (Score:2, Interesting)
Anyone who is famous enough to have what they wear be a major advertising event is unlikely to use unsolicited items send through the mail.
FAIL!!
You'd be surprised how many serious celebrities go nutzo for free crap. Especially clothes, shoes, jewelry, electronics (cell phones and such.) They take the free stuff and use it, even though they can afford to buy whatever they want.
Apple figured this out a long time ago. It gives out lots of free crap in hollywood, and boy does it ever get exposure.
Re:Don't know who that person is (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:What? (Score:1, Interesting)
OK, I needed to know this as well. Here's the context for the anti-branding; Snooki is a young female of airhead demeanor on a reality show called Jersey Shore. Apparently this show has caused a lot of controversy with activist Italian organizations, who called for its banishment and censorship from television. Many original sponsors of the show have since ceased there commercial advertisements, like Dell Computer and Domino's Pizza.
Here's the reason for this anti-branding silliness:
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Shore_%28TV_series%29 [wikipedia.org]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snooki [wikipedia.org]
Personally, I've worked with Italians before, and I can tell you MOST of them live up to their stereotype as being happy campers with a lot of gold jewelry jobs or contacts in the construction industry. From my experience, most young Italians can see the humor in their own stereotypes, but the authoritarian establishment types and the religious types are always the ones who cause a fuss.