Product Placement in Marvel Comics

I feel like product placement in a comic book can be less invasive then all the ads that get stuffed into them anyways. With so many comics ending up online, this can be a good way to overcome that obstacle.

The only problem that should arise from this is when a product placement starts taking away from the story.

But it’s hard for me to judge that. I am always pointing out product placements on TV that most of my friends don’t “notice” at least consciously.

I’m surpised that you didn’t notice the “iPhony” earlier in the issue. Honestly, as a dedicated Marvel “True Believer”, I’ve noticed many add and product placements in my books. It’s not really bothersome, though.

Usually, when characters are talking on a phone it’s always a buttonless touch-screen with a single button at the base – AKA iPhone. Have I noticed? Yes. Did I associate these phones with Apple products? Yes. Does it bother me? No.

The only thing that -is- surprising really, is the low quality of the placement here. Usually Marvel is much more tactful. Not mentioning that I find it hard to believe that the world’s premiere spy would be using commercial software to stage his super-hero espionage, this add really doesn’t fit in at all.

Additionally, I just read this issue last night (great series with huge promise) and I didn’t even notice the add. This was the last page of the book, one page splash. It had a great lead up where you were dying to know who Fury was talking to. Anyone who’s a Marvel fan was WAY too pumped to see Dugan to notice the add placement. But maybe that’s just me :)

I have to agree that product placement within the story is much less invasive than the ads that get stuffed around them on separate pages and provided the placement doesn’t interfere with the story (and this case I don’t think it does at all) then it doesn’t bother me in the least bit. It is really no different than watching your favorite TV show where all the soda products in the fridge is Coke product – or all the good guys in 24 driving Fords.

My question would be – as product placement becomes more prevalent in comics will it help to offset the rising prices of the books? Would seem a fair tradeoff to me “you want Nick Fury to specifically call out WebEx, then you pay us X-dollars” which in turn keeps the 24 page comic book priced underneath the $3.00 mark.

Oh, believe me, I’m not upset with placement, provided it stays within editorial boundaries. I think it’s swell. Make zero ads, and all in-content placement, and I’d be thrilled. In fact, make a page near the very back with a list of URLs calling out the products served in each panel. That’d be lots of value, wouldn’t you say?

How about Product Placement in church? I can see the preacher/priest/etc. pausing to drink a Fanta in side profile, sigh with a “That’s refreshing,” and continue on bettering his flock. Ha.

Product placement to me is just a top of mind tactic. Not much trust is passed along. Maybe it use to be, but these days consumers are pretty savvy and saturated with sponsors and prod placement. The main benefit would be keep that brand in your brain until they get you to pull the value purchase trigger.

The cool thing to me is that they are recognizing the tech geek/comic geek connection. Wonder how much research/testing went into that effort.. ?

I’m worried because the product placement doesn’t bother me very much. Ten years ago it would have bothered me a lot. If I had noticed it. Not noticing product placement would bother me. Hm.

It’s like the video game ads and product placement that continues to grow (most notably, the EA sports franchises).

It makes perfect sense for companies to go after the readers or users of a relevant product. Why just stick to traditional advertising or social media marketing? There’s a host of great ways to get your message out there, and the eyeballs and ears of your audience is getting more receptive all the time.

Just keep it relevant – insect repellant ads in a Spiderman comic book probably wouldn’t be a good idea. Well, except maybe for the Green Goblin ;-)

Didn’t know Marvel was on Twitter!

Didn’t know you were a comics guy! I see nothing wrong with it as long as it doesn’t get out of control. Movies do it all the time.

…

Maybe not the best comparison.

VlogHog: Everyone’s on Twitter. :) Might I suggest following @agent_m . He works there and is a decent fellow.

Marvel comics have been using product placement for a while now.

for example instead of having spider-man swing across a billboard with an ad for a fake company they know have him swing past a real ad for a real product.

I think this webex thing is interesting because it actually written in the story, instead of being added in later when the art is all done. Something that angered an artist or two (because they don’t like the ideal of their art being changed or if they most have the ad they’d rather draw it themselves so it not out of place) and many fans (because those ads seemed out of place)

I think that it’s a great idea.
To be able to put your brand name out there in a way that is not disruptive like Cisco did can only make the exposure more effective and remarkable.
However, you need to establish a strong brand first in order to be able to enjoy this type of advertising.

The Heroes webcomic has been doing this sort of thing since near the beginning — as long as the products serve the story and don’t mutilate it, I enjoy.

DC and Marvel are both burnishing “networks” of titles that appeal to male readers between the ages of 18 and 34. Marvel’s Mr. Maimone says the comics titles are competing with “laddie” magazines such as Emap PLC’s FHM or Dennis Publishing’s Maxim and Stuff.

Others see the placement as the lesser of two evils, still better than having big display ads inside the comic books. “Anything they can do to put it in front of the person in the mainline of reading is going to be a good thing,” says Tommy King, who sells comics at Tales Resold in Raleigh, N.C.

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