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Mel’s Note: This week Gray chimes in with his very first Friday Five.
Chuck is one of the few shows that is able to integrate product placement into the story lines for comic effect, without annoying the viewer (OK, not usually). Also, because supporting the advertisers has become an important part of keeping our favorite show on the air, die-hard viewers not only welcome product placement but enjoy the occasional inside joke with the folks who make the show when certain items appear.
That said, there are a few instances that have stood out for various reasons…
5 significant instances of product placement
1. Most integrated into story – Sleep Sheep – 416- Chuck Versus the Masquerade
What parent couldn’t relate to Devon & Ellie’s quest for a night’s sleep? They would do anything to settle baby Clara, and their salvation comes in the form of a Sleep Sheep, sporting a cute Jeffster T-shirt. Ellie surprises us by being willing to seduce Jeff and Lester away, and wholesome Devon is willing to steal. It’s funny, charming, totally integrated into the story, and tells the viewer that to a parent of a newborn, a Sleep Sheep is the holy grail!
2. Most 3D – Subway Sprint – 212- Chuck Versus the Third Dimension
Who can forget the Finale and a Footlong campaign in 2009? But that campaign was only possible because Subway was a very visible part of Chuck‘s second season. This “Subway Sprint” competition between new Buy More employee Butterman and Jeff involves a massive subway sandwich, lots of close-ups, all in 3D. The message? Subs are delicious, and so huge that even these big guys can barely finish one.
3. Integrated into the title – Tic Tacs – 310- Chuck Versus the Tic Tac
Even though it seemed like “Chuck vs. the Subway” was going to be about the restaurants, it was actually about the underground trains. The only time a product placement has gone as far as the title was in “Chuck vs. the Tic Tac”. Tic Tacs were our introduction to the villain of the story, a serious, hardened military man named Keller (played by Robert Patrick, who we know as the Terminator who was MORE scary than Arnold!). The message? Even tough guys like Tic Tacs.
4. Most blatant car – Sienna – 418- Chuck Versus the A-Team
There have been lots of instances of car & truck product placement, but the most blatant has to be when Chuck and Sarah tail Casey in a Sienna borrowed from Devon & Ellie… an entire scene is taken discussing its features, and why it is a perfect tail vehicle. Sadly, in screenwriting terms, a scene must always have a plot or character purpose, so this one I did find bothersome. I’ll put up with it to save the show, but I would rather if they found a way to integrate it into a scene that actually moves story or character.
5. Most ubiquitous (and cool) – iPhone – Almost every episode!
You thought I was going to say Subway sandwiches? Actually, if you look through the episodes, you’ll see the iPhone all over the place. It’s involved in sexting (401), it’s dropped in a pool when Sarah is mad at Chuck (301), it represents Chuck when the two phones are ringing and Sarah has to choose between Chuck and Bryce (110). The message? The coolest nerds use it, and the most dangerous spies use it… it’s sexy, handy, and fun.
What were your favourite product placements? Please comment below.
And why don’t you take a moment to thank Chuck’s advertisers:
We Give A Chuck – Postcard campaign
Chuck This Blog – Massive list of advertisers from Chuck with contact info
Uh, the iPhone is NOT product placement. Apple doesn’t pay for product placement. Which is why Chuck, Sarah and everyone else should be using Smartphones that will PAY for the privilege…
Hi Mary,
Thanks for your comment. While Apple does not pay dollars for the product placement, they absolutely do trade favors, and free products — if you look on much older discussion boards on other sites, there has been talk about how Chuck got the newest models so quickly, about apps/performance that didn’t seem normal, etc.
So it’s true, it’s not an advertiser in the traditional sense, but I did feel it was worth mentioning because of how ubiquitous it was.
– Gray
Maybe it’s stupid of me but I’ve been wanting someone to cut together the Ellie/Devon Sienna plug from Phase Three next to the Sarah/Chuck version from A Team. A minute long Sienna/Chuck commercial on you tube would make me laugh. Again maybe it’s just me. LOL
Am I alone in remembering the “Road to the Olympics” commercials with Devon/Ellie and Morgan as being in support of Honda? That has always seemed a little odd to me.
These were super funny. I loved watching them!
Johnny Walker Black in both “the Nacho Sampler” and “the Other Guy”. Also in “the Other Guy” he’s eating Edy’s Ice Cream, but the deal must have fallen through because the brand name is visually obscured, and the audio seems garbled at the point the product was supposed to be named by Morgan while he’s tied up and telling Sarah what happened.
I’m not much of a gamer, but I assume that the names of some of the video games are real (“Call of Duty”, the names of flight simulator games he rattles off to Sarah while she’s trying to help him land the helicopter, and so forth). And he gave a shout-out to Arcade Fire’s first album. I’m not sure if you want to stretch the definition of “product placement” to include numerous cultural referrences that alert the viewer to the existance of those products, so I’ll stop here.
Yeah, season 2 had a LOT of Call of Duty in it, also, I think the Delorean was a far more blatant car product placement (cos it was in the title), tho don’t they make them anymore…so?!
I personally like Morgan’s bearskin rug from Big Lots. Remember he’s got eight of them! LOL
What about all the Call of Duty references. It was very big in First Date and probably as integrated into the story as the sleep sheep was this season.
On rewards.com one of the questions implies that one of the computer monitors at the Nerd Herd desk (a dell) was placed there for product placement.
The most important product placement or at least advertising vehicle of you forgot to mention: the Buy More. Not the store itself is an ad (although?) but in almost every episode with Buy More scenes we see products or boxes with brand names very clearly in the background next to close ups and around the action. Individualy not so spectaculair ads as the 5 examples you gave but as a whole a very big part of the advertising revenues for the series. It is a public secret that because of this the Buy More came back in season 4.
I love the Subway jokes on the show, but I’m developing an odd thought. I’m afraid that if we buy stuff just because it’s on Chuck, the show’s integrity will be compromised because the show will become one big advertisement.
Or I’m just overreacting.
What do you think?
Hi John,
You’re missing something… All television exists for the sole purpose of getting people to buy stuff. That’s why a 30 second commercial in American Idol costs over $600,000 — and there are a lot of those in every episode!
I’m not saying that TV writers and producers haven’t figured out a way to also give us great entertainment, but there’s no shame in doing what TV was designed for in the first place, especially if it helps keep a show we love on the air.
Hope this helps,
Gray.
In the days of live radio and TV prior to the 1960’s it was not unusual for the host or players of a show to do an advertisement, either read as copy or performed as a skit. Watch old Jack Benny clips from the 1950’s and see what I mean. When it was time for a word from the sposor, Benny and his gang would interrupt their skit to plug Lucky Strike cigarettes. Milton Berles’s classic late 1940’s TV show was named “Texaco Star Theatre”. The “Hallmark Hall of Fame” is an example which has survived sporadically to the present day. Modern product placement is a descendant of that tradition.
Thats right not only does advertising pay for the TV we like but advertisers are looking for how to avoid the 30 second skip button product placement avoids that otherwise its “live”/”Reality” shows which must be watched at a certain time. Chuck has this appeal to advertisers and it works while the show is in reruns and on DVD. I’d suggest a email/letter campaign to those product placements saying something like “I saw your product on Chuck and went out and bought it”
Hi Vlad,
Thanks for your post! There actually already is such a campaign in place — the advertiser postcard campaign over at wegiveachuck.com.
Hope this helps,
Gray.
Thanks everyone for your additions and comments!
People seem to be Bashing Grays first Friday Five. I feel he did a nice job.
the only thing i missed was the herder. Being the Buy american guy that i am i feel that ford should try to get in more TV like Toyota has done. Couldn’t you see chuck on the auto ban in a 2011 mustang. i could. And Ellie’s Mustang probaly isnt prouduct placement but it is a wonderful car.
When Morgan was being “Alfred” to Chuck’s “Batman” and made sure that Chuck has a Tide pen in his shirt pocket, before the big proposal to Sarah and I don’t remember the episode but someone was having a Hot Pockets sandwich and Chuck said…”I love me some chicken …” (the particular name of the Hot Pockets he likes. Our family laughs at the blatant marketing effort because we realize that we, as with many people, DVR and then speed through the commercials. We think it is a clever way for the advertisers to ensure that a plug for thier product happens. It works in the Chuck format. I am not sure about other television programming. We look forward to the goofy way that a product will be hawked.
hey subway and big mike are the best product placements ive seen mark chris law is a wonderful pitch man he delivers the short story and presentation perfectly.
I have a suggestion for the friday five for next week how about chucks five year plan from the pilot something like how would chucks five year plan look.
I am writing a fanfic where chuck does a marty mcfly where future chuck goes back in time to see pilot chuck.
I really liked the car product placement (Sienna). It was really funny…at least I thought so.
I also enjoyed the road to the Olympics with Ellie/Awesome/Morgan. Those were really funny commercials 🙂
Hi,
thanks everyone for your comments! It’s a great reminder that different things stand out to each of us. Because I’m not a gamer, I glossed over the video game placement. It’s true, video games have been all over Chuck.
Some things are just props… like the Delorean — if it’s something you can’t go out and buy today, it’s not something an advertiser paid for. I don’t think they pay for the nerd herders either — once it’s dressed up like that, it’s not really an ad for that car.
Also, those Olympic commercials were indeed hilarious, but they were not product placement — product placement by definition is something that’s inside the show.
The reality is that Chuck is jam packed with product placements — that’s why the blown up Buy More came back, and that’s one of the reasons why this bubble show has been doing better than other bubble shows.
Thanks,
Gray.
In Episode 20 there was possibly a product placement from microsoft with their skydrive. Casey says something like downloading that from my skydrive now, and show the windows live page on the laptop.