Stealth Advertising
“Stealth advertising is a method of advertising in which the consumer is often not consciously aware that she is being subjected to advertising. While some argue that stealth advertising is a deceptive and unethical marketing practice, regulators have generally not pursued companies for engaging in it.” (Study.com)
As stated from the definition above, we, being the consumers, are often NOT mindful that we are being subjected into advertising. Many companies, especially the huge ones, use this strategy to create interest and excitement that will make consumers more receptive to direct advertising later. This is also the best way to spread a product that has not been widely known or advertised yet.
Product placement in the films industry is a very common case of stealth advertising. The use of this technique in the movies is very effective since it has a wide range of audience. Everything shown there can create a huge impact to the viewers, especially if the person is really into the movie and the characters. So if a certain product is shown there, it can even affect the way one looks at that product – either positively or negatively, depending on his/her favorite character. For example, if his/her favorite character seems to like or use a product very often, it will create a tad bit of bias towards that product. He/she will perceive the product as a "good” one just because his/her favorite character does the same. In this way, the company owning that product will be able to earn more money because the movie popularized their product, and this therefore proves the strategy to be very effective. So in short, it is clearly shown that stealth advertising can also shape how a person think of a certain product.
The pictures above are just some proofs of stealth advertising in movies. In the first picture which came from the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day, you can witness the Pepsi Cola vending machine behind Arnold Schwarzenegger. But that is not the only scene where the product is present, in fact, there are various references to Pepsi Cola all throughout this movie.
The next picture is from the movie Zombieland. Of course, who would ever forget the very tragic/romantic search of Tallahassee to his Twinkies? Rule # 32: Enjoy the Little Things! As a child, I was really curious about the taste of those Twinkies, and if ever I would be able to get one now, I certainly would!
The last picture is from the movie White House Down. That picture depicts the scene where Jamie Foxx was kicking the antagonist’s head while saying the quote "Get yo’ hands off my Jordans!”. That is considered as one of the funny scenes in the movie, and it will surely make the people remember the shoes worn by him due to the fact the he even emphasized it by saying what kind of shoes he was wearing that time.
Those instances, though sometimes not very obvious, can be considered as stealth advertising since there are product placements present. They are making the people notice the product, even though it is not directly stated.
Stealth advertising is a wise strategy, and I think that it’s alright if the companies and other enterprises continue to use this technique. But, it should be done with consideration, meaning, the products that would be shown should not be emphasized more or given more importance than the actual movie or whatever type media used to promote it itself. We cannot blame the companies from doing this since it is an easy and effective way for them to increase their sales, but too much of this can be causing a bit of irritation and annoyance to the consumers, so they should know the correct and appropriate way of doing this type of advertising.