[Weekly Update] Ads in movies

Before we start, I have a quick update on the channel's ad status. For a long time, we held off on showing you unskippable ads and mid-roll ads. Starting this November, however, YouTube will take away this control. Meaning that you'll likely see more ads from our channel (or on YouTube in general). YouTube clarified that we still have control over the timing of mid-roll ads, but it's unclear if we can turn of just the mid-rolls, or if there's only a single on-off switch for all ads. It's asinine, but not much can be done. If you wish to use ad-blockers, feel free.

CHANNEL UPDATE

Hope you enjoy our last video on bad Chinese movies, at least for the foreseeable future. While there are plenty of bad Chinese blockbusters out there, no other movies came close to the meme status of the unholy three. The one that came closest is Shanghai Fortress, but that movie doesn't have a lot of funny materials to work with. It's bad mostly because of its plot, and that's hard to express in a 10 minute video. The Tiny Times series is also absolutely horrendous because of the value it exhibits and the director being a scumbag. But there ain't no way I'm putting myself through 4 of these movies, when I barely lasted 30 minutes in the first film.

Instead, I think it's time we expand beyond the border of Chinese cinema, and start talking about notorious films from around the world. Maybe highlight some so-bad-it's-good movies that are overlooked. Or maybe just bash some bad movies and have fun.

For our next video, I'm taking a small break from analysis, and just want to share some personal memories. Let's make a short video on my childhood memories of going to the cinema. It was probably not the experience you'd imagine. And let's also talk about pirated VCDs, too.

Finally, we are also working on a video about Chinese kung fu cooking movies. We narrowed it down to 3 movies, with a mention of a certain Japanese anime series, too. However, the topic is too broad, and I found myself focusing only on the cooking part and not the kung fu part. So, the video will need a bit more time in the oven. Pun fully intended because I'm not a coward to admit it.

MEDIA TALK

One thing I didn't bring up in our video on Switch, is that the movie, like many Chinese movies of the same period, is filled to the brim with product placements. There are extended SEQUENCES where you get close ups of everyone's phone, lasting something like 10 to 20 seconds. And of course, all of them uses Nokia phones. This movie killed Nokia.

Product placement is like CGI, you only ever notice it when it is done badly. It actually requires good restrain and artistry to make a product placement that feels appropriate, with a strong message but without it coming off as an ad that interrupt the flow.

Let's start with a bad example, the worst one I can think of from Hollywood: The freaking Converse shoes in I,Robot. If Will Smith only wears it, it'd be fine. But he also has to put his foot up above the table and point to it, and announces brand, that really make it feel like an ad. In fact, this kind the badly done product placement was already a cliche by the time The Truman Show was making fun of it. And somehow I,Robot feels worse.

Speaking of satirical product placement, Jurassic World is another film notorious for its product placement. Supposedly its intention was to make a satirical comment on the consumer driven economy, matching the theme of movie and its theme park. The audience didn't buy the explanation, of course. You don't get to satire something if you are actively participating and becoming the problem you are satirizing.

Now we have the bad examples out of the way, let's look at a few good ones.

The one that I personally hold as a gold standard is the Nokia phone used in the Matrix. The transforming phone was a perfect fit for the aesthetic of the movie. It feels like something a movie hacker would use. It's both retro and futuristic, slightly tech-y yet very much dated. The placement doesn't feel like an ad, but it does make you want to buy one, just so you can show it to your friends and say: "Look at this, it's a phone from the Matrix!" This style of product placement also applies to the aviator sunglasses used in Top Gun, and the suits in Kingsman. Although the Kingsman brand was created following the success of the film, if I recall correctly.

Another example that's often cited as good product placement is Forrest Gump and Nike (and also Apple, but that's just the brand with no products). Towards the end of the film, we see Forrest become very rich, drawing parallel to how consumerism takes hold of America around the same time. It is then when Jenny bought a pair of Nike shoes for Forrest. It's an appropriate product choice, as it reflects the aforementioned consumerism. And it also fits in the greater context of recent American history. The film understands the perception of Nike, and the heart of the film.

Of course, I think the best product placement is no product placement at all. At an age when people turn on an Xbox, which they paid, and log in to their online service, which they also paid, only to receive ads on the UI... If your ad is not Long Long Man, I don't wanna see it. But hey, if consumerism gives me lemon, right?

That's the update for this week! I'd try my best to get the video out in a few days, but the editing might take some time. In any case, I'll see you soon!