Robert Zemeckis and Product Placement

In today’s world of film and television there is a lot of product placement.  Mostly the reason is because food and beverages companies offer money.  This flatters directors and producers.  However what if the placements are also used to make a scene more real?  A great example is Back to the Future.  Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale (who were also the writers) decided that they wanted realism in there story.  At a time when product placement was still not very common this was a good idea.  They used this belief when they made their first movie I Wanna Hold Your Hand.  At that time brand names weren’t really allowed in film and tv.  But back to the case of Back to the Future.  

When it came to doing product placement, along with realism, they wanted to use brand names that had logos that contrasted between 1985 and 1955.  Shell Oil offered more money than Texaco did but Texaco’s logo changed and Shell different.  Also Pepsi-Cola’s logo changed and Coca-Cola never has so Pepsi was decided.  Big contrast.

With Forrest Gump nobody wants to see Forrest drink generic soda,.  They will want to see Forrest drink something real.  Dr. Pepper it is.  

Also in Cast Away what would Chuck call his volleyball friend?  Other then some random name Wilson is perfect.  Also having a real delivery company is better than a fake one.  So in that case FedEx was the one.

Now whether or not money had much to do with this I don’t care.  Whether or not it could be an evil for good it worked.  Those placements were the icing on the great chocolate cake. film.  Now Zemeckis doesn’t ever take money anymore because with money it felt like another creative person was put in the mix.  Also Produce Bob Gale (Producer and Co-writer of BTTF) says, "Use products where it makes sense. Don't bend over backwards to promote a product that doesn't make sense. That's the difference."

This was said over 20 years after BTTF so I doubt he was lying.