lesson for a project-based learning environment, I wanted to share with you Product Placement, version 2.0.

In this version, students act as consultants working with Procter & Gamble to devise a product placement for a P&G product. The setup, as laid forth in the entry document, is that P&G is looking for product placements that will reach the teenage demographic. So, for students, the task is two fold: find a P&G product that teens would be using, and develop a product placement that would reach teenage eyeballs.

Aside from changing up the scenario the students are working with, I’ve also added some scaffolding activities that examine whether product placements are an effective marketing strategy (ie, do people remember/act on the hidden ads).

In true Project-based learning spirit, here’s the Driving question:
Can we develop a Product Placement strategy that would be memorable and effective in marketing a Proctor and Gamble product to teenagers?

Why It’s Important (What I tell my students):
Understanding Product Placement will help you understand some of the hidden ways in which marketers try to get you to buy their products (which may save you money!). Plus, Proctor & Gamble is THE LARGEST consumer goods company in the world, with nearly $80 Billion a year in sales. As one of the largest advertisers in the world, it spends billions of dollars a year promoting its products. And, P&G is close to Scottsburg – in Cincinnati, OH. If you are interested in a career in Business/Marketing, P&G could provide a great opportunity for you to grow as a professional and still live close to home.

Here are the files associated with the project:
Product Placement PowerPoint – Background introduction on Product Placement w/ YouTube links to examples
P&G Product Placement Project Entry Document (PDF) – Used to kickoff project
Project Rubric – P&G Product Placements – Rubric for grading presentations
Transformers Scaffolding Activity – Used to help students identify product placements in feature films
Product Placement Quiz Scaffolding Activity (PDF) – Students conduct research to see if product placements are memorable
Buyology Reading Excerpt Questions – Students read an excerpt from Martin Lindstrom’s Buyology to learn more about what makes an effective product placement.

In addition to the files linked above, there are a ton of excellent resources online that can be used in this project. I’ll list a few below:
www.brandchannel.com - Provides product placement lists and analysis for movies

www.adage.com - Leading Marketing trade publication

www.youtube.com - Search product placement…they have all kinds of montages and clips

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19562215/ns/business-autos/ – (MSNBC Article about Product Placements in Transformers movie)

http://brandchannel.com/home/post/2011/01/18/Hollywood-Marketers-Face-The-Impossible-Blurring-Product-Placements-In-Sandler-Film – (Product placements in Adam Sandler films)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uObLcznfjY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPJpgjfFJpc

(A few examples of some really BAD product placements from Days of Our Lives)

As always, enjoy. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a line at travis@travisrmartin.com

Related posts:

1. Marketing Lesson: Product Placement in Movies and Television
2. Project Based Economics: Vanguard Black Swan Fund (Part II – Project Rollout)
3. Class Project: Opening Pandora’s Box

Lesson Background

In 1982, Elliot lured an alien out of hiding with a bag of Reese Pieces, and a phenomenon was born.  And no, I’m not

ET & Reese's Pieces = A Match Made in Product Placement Heaven

talking about the birth of the Summer Blockbuster.

Product placements in movies and television shows have become common thanks to Steven Spielberg and his inclusion of a little-known bite sized Hershey product into his movie, E.T. Since then, the practice of product placement has become widely adopted.

In this lesson, students learn the basics of product placement by:

• Participating in a classroom discussion that includes YouTube clips of popular product placement examples
• Watching the movie Transformers and identifying product placements
• Developing a product placement plan for an existing product
• Discussing the ethical advertising issues surrounding product placements

My main goals for this lesson are to:

• Have students identify product placement
• Have students understand why companies engage in product placement
• Have students look at existing product placements with a critical eye (are the effective or not)

Note: The PowerPoint discussion below contains hyperlinks to clips on YouTube. In presentation view, if you click on the photos, it will bring up the YouTube clip. (Links checked as of 4/19/10).

If you have any questions about this lesson (or any of the other ones posted), feel free to drop me a line at travis@travisrmartin.com or leave a comment below.

Lesson Resources
PowerPoint Discussion: Product Placements in Movies and Television
Worksheet: Transformers Product Placement Hunt
Instructions: Determining Product Placement Activity

Website: BrandChannel’s Product Placement in Movies

Article: “Transformers” a GM Ad in Disguise – MSNBC

Related posts:

1. Marketing Project: Procter and Gamble Product Placement (Updated PBL version)
2. Marketing Lesson: An “Eggcellent” Distribution Channel Activity
3. Marketing Lesson: (Price) Anchors Away