No, we’re not talking about the eye candy of Lindsay Lohan or Jude Law. This is the real thing: Sweet, sweet candy, melting in the mouths of our favorite movie stars in long, loving shots provided by filmmakers lining their pockets with product placement dough. Nothing says “great cinema” like kid-targeted commercialism running amok in art.
– E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)–Reese’s Pieces doubled its sales three months after this freaky-ass alien was lured out of hiding by a trail of the tiny treats. Reese’s got the brand-making product placement for free, after M&Ms turned down the offer, worried about the image of a wrinkly alien gobbling their classic candies.
– The Goonies (1985)–When the gang spelunks a haunted mining shaft, Chunk (Jeff Cohen) has the wherewithal to pause and ask if anyone has a Baby Ruth. Nabisco paid $100,000 for this product placement, a far wiser investment then their other Baby Ruth placement (in The Bad News Bears, wherein the fatass catcher stuffs his face with the chocolate nutty bars).
– Hellboy (2004)–Another Baby Ruth reference–this time they’re used to lure baby Hellboy out of hiding in WWII, and it turns out that 60 years later, the giant red demon (Ron Perlman) still has a hankerin’ for ’em. Well… that and beer.
– Caddyshack (1980)–MORE BABY RUTH! The immortal icon Groundskeeper Carl (Bill Murray) tosses an unwrapped Baby Ruth into the crowded pool at Bushwood Country Club. You ain’t never seen rich people run like when they’re confronted by a floater.
– Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)–True, there weren’t any existing products in this film, but Nestlé was smart enough to buy the Wonka brand name, then launch a huge array of Wonka products: Nerds, Everlasting Gobstoppers, Wonka Bars, ad infinitum–retroactively making Wonka one of the biggest product placement films ever, and Gene Wilder look like a huge tool.
