Apparently, Michael Jackson's movie ranks as a great treat for Jackson aficionados -- who turned out by the thousands in 18 countries at Wednesday's premieres of This Is It, the Sony Pictures docudrama based on rehearsal footage for the grand revival concert tour Jackson was planning for London when he died on June 25. Though it may hold little interest for everyone else -- box office numbers have fallen substantially short of the hype -- the film is likely to do well enough to make up for losses due to the canceled London concerts.

More importantly, it marks the launch of Michael Jackson's posthumous brand.

Since Jackson was alive for half of the year, he only had a few months to try to catch this year's fluke winner of Forbes' annual list of top-earning dead celebrities, Yves Saint Laurent (fueled by a one-time art auction), and took the No. 3 slot. But no matter how well the new film does, extensive soundtrack and licensing opportunities, unhindered by the spooky antics (and appetites) of a pesky live celebrity, are pointing Michael Jackson down Elvis Presley's well-marked path.Continue reading...

Though the long-awaited Spike Jonze/Dave Eggers adaptation of Maurice Sendak's modern childhood classic, Where The Wild Things Are, narrowly topped the weekend's box office, reaction from kids and parents has been mixed, as CNN reports, with many parents finding it "joyless" and some young children in the ostensible target market bored.

And as brandchannel's Jim Thompson notes in this week's brandcameo report, the film is certainly a bust when it comes to product placement:

Considering that the majority of the film takes place in the forests and deserts of Max’s creative mind, few opportunities for product placements arise. The beginning of the movie, however, includes a scene where Mazzola is clearly noticeable on the kitchen table. Also, Lego products decorate Max’s bedroom and underscore his affinity for invention and playfulness. The most prominent brandcameo is by Max’s black Converse All-Star lowtop sneakers, which are seen in many scenes throughout the film.Continue reading...

As noted by our brandcameo product placement tracking team, the Twinkies brand was the recent beneficiary of a load of on-screen promotion in the film Zombieland.

While its brand may seem obvious and one-dimensional, Twinkies' complex character actually makes them a film favorite. They are, all at once, iconic Americana: nutritional garbage, proof of man's triumph over nature, and self-deprecatingly modest. From Die Hard's Sgt. Powell to Grease's Jan to Bill and Ted's Bill and Ted, a Twinkie-eating protagonist is a decent, fun person who doesn't take him- or herself too seriously.Continue reading...

No one would confuse an amateur review of a Nikon D5000 on a site like Associated Content or Epinions with a more thorough overview of digital cameras from Consumer Reports magazine. But starting December 1, the Federal Trade Commission will care whether the writers received their review products for free – or whether they were paid to write a positive review.

This branding issue cuts both ways: The photographer who reviewed the D5000 wants to be respected as an authority on photography products. So if it's later learned he received a product he praised, his personal brand integrity takes a hit. Likewise, there’s a limit to the kinds of promotion that most consumers will accept from a brand, and blatant payola usually crosses the line.Continue reading...

Vince Vaughn knows Guitar Hero. And he should. His character, Dave, sells Guitar Heros for a living in the romantic comedy Couples Retreat. When the film’s plot escalates to an intense and hilarious jam session between Dave and his island nemesis, Stanley (Peter Serafinowicz), the stage is set for a Hollywood-size product placement. But Guitar Hero has many supporting cast members, as this week's brandcameo reports:

Food and beverage brands dominate this film as Budweiser, Bud Light, Pepsi, Starbucks, Froot Loops and Applebee’s receive screen time – whether verbal or visual – in the film. Tech brands Apple, PowerPoint and Guitar Hero have prominent brandcameos, as do apparel brands Under Armour and Polo. Club Med, Sandals, Volkswagen, Ford and Solistone tiles round out the brandcameo roundup.

Written by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, Couples Retreat explores modern-day marriage at mid-life, and the storyline is framed by product placements that reveal youthful desires for Froot Loops and the adult reality that no one wants to end up old and alone at Applebees. None of these product placements, however, threatens the dominance of the reigning champion in our brandcameo listing of product placements in No. 1 films.

Visit our brandcameo page for next week’s debut films and brandchannel’s complete reference list of product placements in this and other top-grossing films.

Thanks to Woody Harrelson, star of last weekend's US top-grossing Zombieland, the world now knows vegan Twinkies. His new film's plot revolves around the spongy cakes, which he spends munching as he looks for the last Twinkie on earth. As Michelle Boisson reports:

While Twinkie, by far, receives the most prominent brandcameo in the film—being totally integrated in the plot—in reality, Harrelson couldn’t eat the Hostess brand. Being a raw vegan, he had to have special Twinkie-like cakes made for him.

Zombieland may be a dangerous place, but it's also a brand fiesta. Many products make appearances in the comedy-horror film, ranging from the AK-47 to Cadillac Escalade, and from Animal Crackers to Purell. (See the brandcameo page for brandchannel's complete reference list of product placements in this and other top-grossing films.)

One well-known social media site also shows up, though it most likely didn't pay for the mention. According to Jesse Eisenberg's character Columbus, the best thing about Zombieland is: “No more Facebook status updates.”

The actress doesn’t seem to garner nearly as much press for her movie roles, or even for her beauty, as she does for her offbeat statements. Whether you’ve dismissed them as bizarre rantings, or just as a tendency to say what’s on her mind, her interviews seem infinitely more memorable than most.Continue reading...

Cadbury fights takeover, dismissing Kraft as a "low growth conglomerate." [FT]

NBC gears up for tonight's debut of The Jay Leno Show, working to promote the primetime talk show in a fragmented media landscape [NYT], and halving normal ad rates for the time slot [WSJ].

CBS Studios signs deal with UK's Chello Media, distributing hours of classic TV on Chello's to-be-renamed Zone channels. [FT]

Cereal giants like Kellogg's and Weetabix fear British government ad campaign warning of the dangers of salt. [Guardian]

UK government to approve broadcaster payments for TV product placements. [FT]

(More headlines: Improved viewer ratings, The Beatles brand, behavioral economics.)

Continue reading...

Mixed retail sales and weak back-to-school numbers, including the teen apparel sector, raise fears for the upcoming US holiday shopping season [NYT]

When brands might not collide after all: Europe to review Oracle's takeover of Sun. [WSJ]

Amazon and Google square off in court over book rights. [AP]

YouTube talks to Hollywood about streaming movies for a fee. [NYT]

Or, just use Yoostar to edit yourself into one of the classics. Co-star with Marilyn or Gable! [David Pogue]

A brandcameo with some shelf-life: Santa Barbara's wine region weathers the recession, thanks to the 2004 comedy "Sideways." [LAT]

iPhones strain AT&T's network, angering customers. [NYT]

Desperate dads invent apps to turn your iPhone into a kiddie distraction device. [LAT]

World Wildlife Fund ad comparing 9/11 with the Tsunami backfires. [Ad Age]

Gee, that was fast! Michael Jackson to be buried tonight. [MTV]

As you read earlier this week (unless you were locked up in Arkham Asylum), Disney is buying Marvel. A triumph for the current leadership at Marvel, considering past regimes have pushed the company right up to the edge (and over) of insolvency a couple times, even as arch-nemesis DC Comics trundled along, safe under the Time/Warner umbrella.

The benefits to Disney are obvious: they have always understood the value of franchise characters and need to buy some revenue pronto. And Marvel, finally seeing an exit that wouldn’t result in shareholders comically running in place before they plunged into the freezing waters of Chapter 11 Ravine, must be more than pleased. Continue reading...

As a kid, the Marvel comics title "What If...?" was a personal favorite. It brought together two impossible worlds: "What if... Dr. Doom had Became a Hero?" "What if... the Hulk had the Brain of Bruce Banner?" "What if... Disney bought Marvel comics?"

It appears we will soon know the answer to that last "what if...", with Disney's announced purchase of Marvel comics — a deal worth $4 billion (just slightly more than a mint 1938 Action Comics #1).

The deal covers thousands of Marvel characters and titles, and includes bankable multi-platform (film, game, print) hero brands like Iron Man, Wolverine, Hulk and Spider-Man and recently buzzed about names Green Lantern and Deadpool. Continue reading...