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(Courtesy MillerCoors Behind the Beer)
Did you notice a Miller High Life in Captain Marvel? How about in HULU’s The Act? Jennifer Lopez’s character is drinking a Coors Light in NBC’s Shades of Blue and there was a Peroni on the couch in the Will & Grace reboot.
None of these beer sightings were an accident according to Behind the Beer. They were negotiated by MillerCoors, so you’ll keep their brands in mind, and you can “expect to see a lot more in the back half of 2019.”
According to MillerCoors 18 brands, which delivered more than 1 billion impressions, were featured across 43 programs in 2018 . That’s nearly 600 product placements across differing media platforms, up 36% from 2017.
New Netflix star
In addition to being in the big screen release of Captain Marvel, several MillerCoors products have already made appearances this year in programs such as HBO’s Barry, Big Little Lies and Veep; Amazon’s Jack Ryan and Homecoming; Netflix’s The Punisher, Daredevil and Maniac according to Peter Frost. And later this year, MillerCoors brands will be featured in shows such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and High Fidelity (Hulu); Mr. Robot (USA TV); and Living With Yourself (Netflix).
Product placement, which is also known as embedded marketing, has been described as the deliberate incorporation of a brand or product into entertainments, many of those references paid for.
In a way they serve as indirect endorsements by characters like Captain Marvel. (Hey Captain Marvel’s good with Miller High Life…maybe I should get a bottle and up my superhero game). And some see them as simply subliminal product reminders…
But n a world of proliferating streaming outlets and viewers migrating to commercial-free programming, Brad Feinberg, vice president of media and consumer engagement at MillerCoors, sees opportunities…
“This is all about the idea of moving at the speed of culture and being part of culture, and the content people immersive themselves in is a key to being part of culture. We are focusing more and more on inserting our brands in entertainment that people talk about. And, increasingly, that means on the programs and ad-free platforms our drinkers are spending more of their time with.
“Audiences are more fragmented than ever, and they’re either tuning out ads, skipping through them or avoiding them altogether by consuming media in ad-free environments.”
And Feinberg stressed the importance of matching each MillerCoors beer brand with the right show and its vibe…
“We go to great lengths by reading every script and meet with producers to makes sure the brand is authentic to the environment and situation. If a scene is taking place in a neighborhood bar in Chicago, we may prioritize Miller Lite or Miller High Life. If it’s in a program that takes place out west, Coors Light or Coors Banquet may be more authentic to that space.”
It’s a brave new media world out there and clearly MillerCoors has committed to expanding its product placement game. So next time you’re spending an evening with a beer and Netflix, chances are you won’t be alone.
