"Man of Steel" hasn't even hit theaters, but it can already count on $160 million from product placement alone. Advertising Age took a closer look at the deals struck between Warner Bros. and a slew of companies around the world and found a staggering amount of tie-ins. Some seem clever enough, like hip eyeglasses company Warber Parker offering frames in the style of Clark Kent, but others are the kind of thing that seem totally foreign to most people, like special edition cars from Chrysler U.K.
Of course, product placement is nothing new; the first film to reportedly feature product placement was 1927's "Wings." This year's "The Great Gatbsy" had plenty of tie-ins, though those were more to signify to modern audiences just how lush a life Fitzgerald's characters were living. After all, the average movie-goer doesn't down bottles of the cheapest champagne on a regular basis, much less Moët & Chandon.
"The Lorax" probably took the most heat for its many, many promotional tie-ins in 2012, but mostly because they went against the story's original eco-friendly message. (The movie had 70 promotional partners, while "Man of Steel" has 100 around the world.) Meanwhile, "Battleship" snagged $50M from partners around the world. That makes the sometimes garishly obvious placement in "Skyfall" a little easier to swallow.
These deals aren't going anywhere any time soon, so you might as well sit back and learn how Superman shaves (sponsored by Gillette, of course).
"Man of Steel" hits theaters in Naija cinemas and beyond.
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