Product Placement = Blockbuster?

Making a movie is a very involved process and just as important as the creative process is the process of rising money to fund the movie. Production companies and independent people put up millions upon millions of dollars to create a single movie. According to MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) spent an average of $65.8 Million in 2006 on a single movie. While according to multiple different websites the movie Spiderman 3 was the most expensive movie of all time; the cost of this movie was an astounding $500 Million to make.

The amount that studios spend to make these blockbusters or average box-office releases is well worth it for them to get the return from tickets sold, DVD sales, and any other type of merchandising one can get out of it.

Another part of funding a movie is and has been product placement through out the movie. Where a main character might be drinking a refreshing Coke or you see a store in the background of an important scene in the movie. These things are purposely placed in a movie and are paid for in full by these companies to reach a target audience.

So, I found this interesting once I heard about the new Sex and the City movie that is currently being made could be totally be funded by product placement. This is an entire film being paid for and in turn being profited off of high end luxury products. Every high end company from Tiffanies, Mercedes, and all high end fashion designers want to be placed in this movie. These companies have been reported to spend anywhere from half a million to $7.5 Million dollars to get their name/product in the movie. The Sex and the City producers are intelligent people that are taking a small part of making money for a movie and exploiting it to serve their purpose.

This is such a simple idea that it is hard to believe that other have not used this tactic to fund other movies. However, I will admit that the Sex and the City movie is a rare type of movie that can use product placement in a way that will not distract from the movie and will add to the movie.

So the question is: Even though this is an interesting and unique way to fund a movie; and a way that we have funded movies impart; can this way of funding through product placement work with all movies?