by Jonathan Haile

Unless you live under a rock, you know that last month Warner Brothers and DC Comics re-energized Superman on the silver screen with the release of Man Of Steel. So far the film has garnered over $500 million worldwide, and in a summer of mega box office failures, Superman is still flying pretty high against the competition.

The film cost $225 million to produce, and in today’s world, movie studios might need a bit of product placement to fuel their big budgets. That’s why Man Of Steel earned over $160 million before it was released. Companies and brands like IHOP, Sears, Burger King and Gillette are all reaping the benefits from the world’s greatest hero, whether they’re featured onscreen or not. Check out the clip from the movie and you’ll see what I mean. The 7-Eleven wasn’t placed there on accident.

Sometimes filmmakers get criticized for blatant product placement. On top of harsh criticisms of his films, Transformers director Michael Bay gets a lot of flack for product placement. People argue that they don’t want to watch a two hour commercial. They go to movies for the escapism. Man Of Steel is no different here. According to Bloomberg, there are over 100 promotional partners for the film. I’m not sure if that includes the Kansas City Royals, but it was nice to see some love for my hometown team.

Product placement, as UCM Public Relations students learn in Integrated Marketing Communication, is a valuable part of the marketing mix. If being visible was the goal, the companies that supported Man Of Steel are clearly benefiting, but at the end of the day, the bottom line is to make money.

So does Man Of Steel’s product placement turn you away from products or services, or does it make you more likely to buy or try them? Either way, Man Of Steel is a solid film (no pun intended).

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Image via IGN.com