Make ‘em Laugh – Funny Product Placement Over the Years

Folks Remember the Funny… Funny Product Placement That Is

A sense of humor is a key to life. People love to share jokes over a family dinner, get together or holiday. For those still working in an office and not remotely, the water cooler or company kitchen remains a great place to gather and share something humorous. And a funny or even ridiculous use of product placement fits into this mold. People remember the funny and want to share it.

Way Too Obvious and Over The Top Product Placement

For those who have kids, you know how effective “Dad Humor” is. It often gets a reluctant laugh, a huge eye roll and massive embarrassment for the child. Yet their friends often find it funny and think the joke teller is hysterical. And better yet, they remember those jokes for a long time.

Going over the top and being so blatant is not always a bad thing, and this goes for funny product placement as well. Think of the following as the “Dad Humor” of product placement. Some are intended to be funny. Some are just so obvious and ridiculous they make you laugh.

All of these examples fit into this idea, with a huge wink and a nod. But most importantly, you do not forget the products. Funny product placement works!

Here are just a few classic moments.

Wayne’s World & Everything

(Pizza Hut, Doritos, Reebok, Nuprin & Pepsi)
Regular readers of these posts know Wayne’s World is just blatant product placement. But the sheer absurdity makes us feel like we’re in on the joke. In this one scene alone there are five brands featured. Wow, that Pizza Hut looks cheesy and delicious, just like the bit itself. Heck, you’re probably already on line or speed dial ordering a stuffed crust pie right now! Aren’t you? Aren’t you??!!

In less than two minutes, there’s also Doritos, Reebok, Nuprin and Pepsi,
which seems to pop up in a lot of funny product placements.

Pepsi One and Pepsi in Thomas Crown Affair and Classic SNL

Speaking of Pepsi… What’s that she’s drinking? Hmmm… you can’t quite tell, can you? There’s the machine, and her chugging that beautiful, endless Pepsi One. That can seems to last forever. It’s blatant, obvious, product placement. It’s like a full on commercial in a movie, and you won’t soon forget it.

For those who watched old SNL or have gotten hip to it and watch it now, you’ll never forget the now classic Billy Goat Tavern sketch (still open in Chicago, by the way). Aside from never seeing a can, you hear Cheeseburger, Chips and “no Coke, Pepsi” or “Pepsi” over and over. So Pepsi won that cola battle.

Cheeseburger, Chips and “no Coke, Pepsi”

The chain (called something else on TV), prides itself on that sketch, uses it in its promotion and marketing, and now has eight locations. Its expansion was probably due in part to the recognition it got. So this becomes a prime example of being part of the funny, and the never spoken “Billy Goat Tavern” got huge attention without even signing up for it.

Thomas Crown Affair Remake

Related: Coffee Cup in Game of Thrones Worth Billions to Starbucks

Seinfeld

This may very well be one of the most quoted shows of the last decade, giving rise to Must See TV and Must Talk About TV! The show is always funny, even when it is awkward and uncomfortable, as is the case with this famous/infamous Junior Mints scene. The follow up scene mentions the name over and over and it becomes a brilliant and funny part of the running joke.

It makes you both crave Junior Mints and be super afraid to eat them in certain circumstances. Yet again, the product placement angle is obvious and the Junior Mint at first seemingly caused the death of a patient. Only in the end, does it appear to be the miracle cure. The lesson is clear. Be a part of the joke, get in on the humor, because funny product placement, even unintentionally, can go a long, long way.

Seinfeld: The Junior Mint

RELATED: Product Placement History

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