Movie Mondays: Witches in Walgreens

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Happy Monday, folks.

As it is now officially Spooky SZN, it's finally socially acceptable to go all out on the scary movies and fall decor. Not that I already do that year-round, though...

I've taken a peak at the schedule for Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween for some viewing inspiration and have to admire its mix of classic family films like Halloweentown and more recent scream-inducers like Happy Death Day. I'm also always looking for horror recs, so shoot me a reply with some good flicks to squeeze in between reruns of Hubie Halloween.

Not every spooky movie is a hit, though, and it brings me no joy to announce that one which I must advocate against (disrecommend???) has to be the new Hocus Pocus 2. I was never the biggest fan of the original, but when I first heard about the sequel, I was still excited about a potential addition to my repertoire of fun October classics. Unfortunately, Disney really managed to discard all of the goodwill it had built up with refresher watchings of the OG.

Hocus Pocus 2 was a messy attempt at a witch-themed musical with out of touch writers who probably add "lit" to every one of their sentences in hopes that eventually it'll eventually fit. One scene in particular was especially horrifying, and not in a good way.

*Minor spoilers ahead (though it was in the trailer*

After being brought back to the real world, the Sanderson Sisters make a trip to Salem's local Walgreens where they move through the aisles sampling the various "youth-preserving" products which occupy the shelves. The concept is a clever one, but the Vegas-like branding throughout the entire sequence reeks of a bad collab in a Super Bowl commercial.

Brands being featured in movies and shows is not new, but it certainly seems to become more prevalent with every release. For Disney, it allowed the company to add a real world element which audiences would recognize and make a nod to the grocery store scene in the original movie which diehard fans would appreciate. For Walgreens, though, it was an even better payoff. Not only did the pharmacy likely get a direct check from Mickey, but it also builds brand recognition through a feature in a big and beloved family movie, potentially resulting in millions of dollars in driven revenue.

Another show which relies heavily on brand-name products is Netflix hit Stranger Things. Starting in episode one with Eleven's infatuation for Eggo frozen waffles and persisting in recent episodes prominently featuring Coca-Cola's "new Coke" formula, viewers are practically subjected to a critically acclaimed, four-season infomercial.

For Stranger Things, the use of familiar, 80s-reminiscent brands works. The bright colors of 7-Eleven's shining signs and neon Reebok clothing appeal to younger audiences in today's vintage-obsessed era while also drawing on feelings of nostalgia from older viewers who actually lived in this decade.

The creators of the series, the Duffer Brothers (apparently NOT an underground indie band), have been very intentional about the use of these brand placements to ensure that the show maintains its authentic feeling. The duo has reportedly received calls from hundreds of brands asking about getting their product into the show, and despite offering big advertising dollars to do so, most have been turned down. In fact, the brands that do get the stamp of approval actually don't get charged a dime.

The attraction of having [YOUR BRAND HERE] on Millie Bobbie Brown's shirt is appealing to marketers who recognize the brand recognition and resulting sales that this provides. Sales of Eggo frozen waffles were up nearly 15% after they first appeared on the show, and the total media value of the brands in Stranger Things has been valued at around $1.2 billion. Maybe if they been charging brands for these free ads, they wouldn't have to introduce commercials🤷

Most brands that vie to get on the big screen don't get the generous Duffer Brother treatment, though. For a sub-minute scene in 2012's Skyfall in which Daniel Craig is nursing a beer, Heineken reportedly paid $45 million for the bottle to be one of their own. Most Bond Girls don't pay a dime for 007's lips.

While this might seem excessive, the sales numbers actually justify this massive spend. The Amsterdam-based company reported that the increased brand awareness from this product placement more than paid for the price tag, a sign that we should probably prepare for even more of these marketing tactics.

While it can be oddly satisfying to spot a recognized brand or product in a movie or show, though, is the road of commercialized cinema really the one we want to go down? While it might work in some instances, there are also likely to be many cases in which the producers simply throw together extraneous scenes with paid placements or try to weave storylines around potential brand exposures in a way that diminishes the quality of the final work. Plus, movies and TV shows often provide an escape from the outside world, consumerism included. Should creators really allow one of these few remaining sanctuaries to be invaded by Ogilvy?

These placements might not be all that bad, though. For aspiring creators, they might actually prove to democratize the industry by providing a new source of financing for underfunded groups. Perhaps, this might even allow for a wave of unique stories and voices. These sorts of deals could provide a pipeline of funding which the traditional distribution presale model often neglects to provide.

Finally, no story in 2022 is complete without mention of the i-word. Inflation has infiltrated every part of our spending routines, and that includes streaming. With prices rising and actual ads invading, perhaps paid product placement could alleviate some of the streamers' cost concerns, allowing for extra revenue providing for fewer hits on the consumer?

That's being a bit optimistic, though. More likely, Netflix is going to eventually raise prices, add advertisements, AND start cashing checks from "innovative" marketers.

This past week's box office numbers:

Big shoutout to Smile. LeBron game 7 performance. Gonna have to check that one out.

There are big releases for fans of literally any genre this week, so find a screen and enjoy:

• Mr. Harrigan's Phone (10/5 via Netflix; one of the first of a steady pipeline of scary October releases from the OG)

• Amsterdam (10/7 via theatrical; reviews aren't great but it features about every big name talent in the past decade)

• Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (10/7 via theatrical; find a kid to take as an excuse to see this family flick based on the children's book)

No excuse to not watch scary movies every day this month besides Saturdays. Those are for college football.

Cheers to another day,

Trey