Product Placement + The Power of Touchpoints

Explore product placement history, with iconic examples from the film and TV industry, and learn how touchpoints can elevate your marketing strategy.

The history of product placement

How product placement has changed over the years

The value of touchpoints + how they impact your marketing goals

We’re all familiar with product placement; a product that feels a bit too perfectly placed to be authentic, the logo shining into the camera as if it’s making eye contact. As marketers, we have a sixth sense for spotting even the subtlest product placement in film and television shows. 

Almost every popular movie or TV show has at least one strategic partnership. Take the newest season of Nobody Wants This as an example. Within the first few episodes, we see Joanne (everyone’s favorite, Kristen Bell) and Noah (Adam Brody) both drinking Spindrift, a popular sparkling water brand that our team knows and loves. While the beverage choice fits in the scene and with the characters, you can’t help but feel momentarily removed from the world the show’s creator developed. Product placement can be a great strategy, but it’s essential to make the viewing experience seamless, a tough line to tread.

While the results of seeing a product in a TV show or movie isn’t directly trackable, what we do know is that it’s a valuable and influential touchpoint. Let’s explore the history of product placement, look through popular examples of successful campaigns, and learn how touchpoints can impact your marketing goals.

The history of product placement

Did you know that one of the earliest examples of product placement in film was The Garage, a movie released in the 1920s? The product was Red Crown Gasoline, a gas company that was active between 1892 and 1967. Its prominent red-and-white logo with a crown in the center was displayed multiple times throughout the film on the walls and equipment in the auto shop. Though it was never confirmed that Red Crown Gasoline paid for the product placement, it certainly stirred up conversation among movie viewers.

The first Academy Award-winning film that featured known product placement was Wings, released in 1927. The product? The ever so popular Hershey bar showed up throughout the movie, some characters even eating the candy bars in certain scenes. Although this was the first of Hershey’s product placement strategies, it definitely wasn’t the last. 

Who can forget E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial? Hershey spent $1 million (which would be upwards of $3 million today) in tie-ins and cross-promotional advertising for Reese’s Pieces to be the primary candy in the film. And it worked out perfectly; within a few weeks of the movie’s release, sales of the candy increased by 65%. When movie lovers reflect on their viewing experience, Reese’s Pieces often comes to mind, the product placement strategy continuing to work more than 40 years after the film’s debut.

Let’s rapid fire some of the most iconic examples in film and TV history: 

• Ray-ban sunglasses worn by Tom Cruise in Top Gun and Risky Business.
• Nokia phones featured in The Matrix. 
• Eggo waffles and Coca-Cola in Stranger Things.
• Red Rider BB Gun in A Christmas Story (it’s basically an entire plotline). 
• Snapple iced tea in 30 Rock. 
• Barbasol shaving cream in Jurassic Park. 
• Pepsi in Back to the Future.
• Subway in Community. 
• Nestle Tollhouse in Friends (The One About Phoebe’s Cookies).

These are great examples because to viewers, each of these products became staples of the film or TV show they were in. Lovers of the Stranger Things series are bound to think of the popular Netflix show when they see the frozen Eggo waffles at the grocery store, just as Tom Cruise fans picture the actor when they come across a pair of Aviators. 

How product placement has changed over the years

Product placement has become such a popular strategy for marketers that over the past decade, brands are completely avoided in movies and TV shows unless it’s paid for. Instead, film and TV creators replace products with generic or spoof versions, like the pear phone Nickelodeon used to replace Apple in their early 2010s shows. 

In 2025, product placement is almost an expectation when it comes to the film and TV industry. Today, it’s less about brands pitching their products to producers and more about producers finding the right products for their show or movie. When producers want to use a specific product, they’ll make a pitch to specific brands in order to make a profit. It’s then up to the brand to determine whether or not the show or movie aligns with their values and whether or not the product placement is worth their money. 

The value of touchpoints + how they impact your marketing goals

Like we mentioned earlier, the specific return-on-investment for product placement is difficult to track. But, there’s no doubt that product placement is a valuable touchpoint. 

In the marketing world, a “touchpoint” is any instance a consumer has with your brand, whether they see your products on shelves, in a commercial, on a flyer, or in the TV show they’re binging at the moment. Touchpoints are essential to the customer journey. While seeing your product in a popular movie might not inspire people to buy right away, they may think of your product when a problem arises and they need to solve it. If someone goes to the grocery store a few days after watching E.T., they might pick up a package of Reese’s Pieces to satisfy their sweet tooth. 

Product placement might not be feasible for your brand, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up on touchpoints altogether. Here are a few creative ways to implement more touchpoints into your marketing strategy:

• Create interactive social media experiences: Test relatable content that will boost your brand’s reach through elements like polls, quizzes, and sharable videos.
• Try pop-ups and sampling events to introduce new customers to your products.
• Incorporate gamification where you can, like scavenger hunts and mobile app challenges.
• Find relevant podcasts and encourage hosts through paid advertising to share their native experiences with your product.
• Implement guerrilla marketing techniques, like public installations and immersive experiences.

Whether it's Reese's Pieces fueling E.T.'s journey home or a can of Spindrift sparkling on a coffee table, product placement reminds us that effective marketing isn't always about the hard sell. Sometimes, it's about being present in the cultural moments that matter to your audience. The beauty of touchpoints lies in their cumulative effect: each interaction, no matter how subtle, builds familiarity and trust over time. Focus on creating genuine connections in the spaces your audience already inhabits, and you'll build the kind of brand recognition that turns casual observers into loyal customers, no Hollywood budget required.

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