Perhaps the least hackneyed, most unforced example of product placement advertising I've ever seen appeared in the movie that made the phrase "that's what she said," famous.  "They made a 'The Office' movie?!" You wonder excitedly, if not a little clumsily because of the whole "a The" part.  No, there is no 'The Office' movie...  But there will be, relax.  The movie I'm referring to is the impeccable 1992 comedy--yes kids, 'that's what she said' is 18 years old and still alarmingly funny--Wayne's World.  In one particular scene, we find Wayne quickly cycling through the product-placement agreements the movie was committed to feature as he damns those that--very similarly--"sell-out" to big business.  Note Garth's Reebok get-up.  I'd pay hundreds for it if I could find it on eBay.

So what's new in the product placement arena these days?  Well, shucks, if you have a feeling it's become a new form of co-op advertising, you'd be correct.  See, whereas Pepsi, Pizza Hut, and Doritos probably plunked down hundreds of thousands of dollars for each of those blatantly--but remember, that's why they were effective--shameless plugs that were so "seamlessly" integrated into Wayne's World, advertisers lately have pulled off product placement at virtually no cost to them.  How?  Well, as MediaBuyerPlanner recently reported, via a co-operative structuring. 

Oscar bait and recent Clooney showcase, Up In The Air features American Airlines and Hilton Hotels placements almost as much as it does Clooney's muse (and Best Supporting Actress nominee) Vera Farmiga.  The deal?  Well, as the article outlines, hotel stays for the cast and crew and plane rentals for in-plane scenes were on the house--paid for by none other than Hilton and AA, respectively.  In return, of course, they'll enjoy all the benefit those product placements produce--on that note, I assume they'll accrue more benefit as the movie continues to grow in popularity given the recent Best Picture nod.  Although, as a media planner, I wonder how you measure ROI on product placements... hmmm...  *stroking chin*  Interesting medium... 

Is this the typical sort of thing we'd be able facilitate in Balihoo's co-op marketing software platform?  Perhaps.  We currently facilitate co-op advertising for more traditional mediums like TV, radio, magazines, etc.  But why not add product placements?  I'd love a crack at negotiating a client's request to product place in the next Nicolas Cage bomb.  Daydreams aside, it's an exciting time for the co-op model--and startups like Balihoo that foster collective ad spending--as firms discover increasingly inventive ways to band together in their marketing efforts to the benefit of all involved! 

So as I calmly slip into daydreams once again as Paparazzi by Lady Gaga blares in my ear buds, I imagine calling Gaga's producer, urging him to change the chorus to "Pe-Pa, Pe-Pa-Roniiiiii" in exchange for a lifetime of stuffed-crust pizzas to the satisfaction of recent client Pizza Hut and of course a very stuffed-crust-loving Lady Gaga. Now that's co-op advertising!