Product placement in movies can get irritating. I remember watching Michael Bay’s The Island and thinking the film was just one big ad for a bunch of different products. (I read somewhere that the film featured 35 different product placements, which is crazy.)
But then there are movies that feature brands I’ve come to love. These are fictitious brands – ones that don’t exist but feel real. They seem like they belong in the world in which they exist – their packaging, advertising and entire presence feels perfectly realized and authentic.
Here are 5 of my favourite, made up brands that I’d like to see on the shelves one day:
Fictitious brand 1: Red Apple Cigarettes
I like all of Tarantino’s films, and Red Apple Cigarettes features in most of them. You can see the brand in Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Inglorious Basterds and even The Hateful Eight. It’s one of those products that doesn’t feel out of place in the early 90’s (Pulp Fiction), the second world war (Inglorious Basterds) or even the 1800’s (The Hateful Eight).
Fictitious brand 2: Los Pollos Hermanos
If I ate fried chicken, I would definitely buy it from Los Pollos Hermanos. Knowing the chain of restaurants exists to distribute crystal meth, would just make it all the more satisfying when calling to place an order and hearing the voice on the other end answer with “Los Pollos Hermanos, where something delicious is always cooking.”
Fictitious brand 3: Duff Beer
Even though it doesn’t technically exist, Time Magazine listed Duff as one of the most influential companies of all time. I imagine Duff would taste fairly generic – a lot like Buddweiser or Miller.
While there is no official Simpsons Duff, brewing companies in the US, UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand have all produced their own versions of the beer.
Fictitious brand 4: Acme
When I was a kid, I just assumed Acme was a company that made explosives and found its way into Road Runner cartoons. Acme makes everything from leg muscle vitamins to a DIY tornado kit and jet propelled tennis shoes. If this company really existed, I would have less than no money all the time.
Fictitious brand 5: Dapper Dan Pomade
If I could get my hands on this, I would definitely use it. I like the packaging, I like the advertising, and I like the way George Clooney says “I don’t want Fop goddamit, I’m a Dapper Dan man!”
Watch the O Brother where art thou? interaction here
So that’s my list of fake brands I’d probably buy. I’m sure there are loads more. Which ones would find their way into your home?
– Written by Stu, Creative Director at Yellow
