Hit movies play an irreplaceable role in the cultural zeitgeist, and it's understandable why the world's biggest brands pay tens of millions of dollars for a logo and a few seconds of screen time.
A Wilson volleyball in Castaway or a pair of Nikes on Forrest Gump's feet is the kind of marketing money can't buy. But each of those were established brands before they made those iconic appearances.
These 11 products would be nowhere without the movies they were featured in, and now we can't imagine a world without them.
1
The yellow “Bumblebee” Chevy Camero has become synonymous with the Transformers franchise, thanks to its prominent appearance in the first 2007 movie, (and all subsequent movies). Chevy sold 60,000 Cameros by the end of 2007.
2
In his 2003 hit “Lost In Translation,” Bill Murray’s character travels to Tokyo to film a commercial for Suntory Whisky. It is a central part of the plot, and Suntory gained instant international recognition.
3
The DeLorean Motor Company went bankrupt in 1982, without having remotely the name brand recognition they do today. But in 1985, a DMC-12 was the main vehicle featured in “Back to the Future.” DeLorean obviously never paid for the product placement since there was no longer any product to sell, but the movie changed the car’s place in pop culture forever.
4
James Bond first drove an Aston Martin DB5 in 1964’s “Goldfinger,” and 007 has been driving one ever since. It’s hard to imagine the British sports car brand with anywhere near the status it has today without the films.
5
Originally planning to use M&M’s, Steven Spielberg turned to Hersheys after Mars turned him down for his 1982 blockbuster E.T. In the movie, Elliot uses a trail of Reese’s Pieces to lure E.T. to his home like breadcrumbs. Reese’s have been a household name ever since.
6
In 1983, Ray-Ban’s sunglasses were close to going out of business. That is, until Tom Cruise wore a pair of Wayfarers in his breakout movie “Risky Business.” They went on to sell 360,000 pairs that year.
7
Wayfarers aren’t the only Ray-Ban’s Tom Cruise has propped up, as 1986’s “Top Gun” boosted Aviator sales by 40%.
8
One of the few times Bond didn’t drive an Aston was in the 1995 movie “GoldenEye.” Thanks to a three-movie deal with BMW, Pierce Brosnan drove the yet unreleased Z3. It had 9,000 pre-orders one month after the movie came out.
9
In the 2004 comedy Sideways, Paul Giamatti expresses his love for Blackstone pinot noir. The brand received a 150% sales boost.
10
The 1929 Academy Award for Best Picture winner, “Wings,” was one of the first movies to use deliberate product placement. In it, the characters interact with a Hershey’s bar.
11
The 1993 movie “The Firm” features Tom Cruise, and lots of Red Stripe beer. That’s a recipe for success, and sales increased by 50% before the owners sold the brand for $62 million.
