Product Placement - The Next Wave of Advertising?

When the young hero in E.T. created a trail of peanut butter candies, he did much more than just lure a shy little alien out of the bushes. That iconic moment in the 1982 blockbuster began the transformation of product placement into a multi-billion dollar business. Originally, E.T.’s filmmakers approached Mars, Inc. for permission to use M&Ms in the scene, but Mars passed. Mistake…big mistake. Not only did the film catapult Reese’s Pieces’ popularity – sales reportedly increased 65% within three months – it also turned product placement into a major source of revenue for filmmakers. 

Did your favorite beer brand make a cameo in a recent Bond film? Read more about Product Placement.

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In addition to Thriving Attorney, Darin M. Klemchuk is founder of Klemchuk LLP, a litigation, intellectual property, and transactional law firm located in Dallas, Texas.  He also co-founded Project K, a charity devoted to changing the world one random act of kindness at a time.  Click to read more about Darin Klemchuk's practice as an intellectual property lawyer.