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What's the best fake brand from film or TV?
If there's one thing I love about product placement, it's the lengths to which TV shows and movies go when they don't want to pay up for an actual brand. A new blog called Product Displacement is dedicated to tracking two kinds of Hollywood workarounds: fake brands (like Buy More, the Best Buy clone in NBC's Chuck) and unbranded products (like the logo-less Jeep from Fox's The Sarah Connor Chronicles). The blog isn't very well populated yet (and in fact, one of the supposedly bogus brands listed, the Slanket, is actually real), but there are plenty of places where it can get inspiration, like Mental Floss's list of 10 fake brands used by the entertainment industry. So, what's your favorite fake brand? Let us know in the comments, while I go crack open a frosty can of LöBrau. Via Murketing. —Posted by David Griner |
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May 15, 2009 in Griner, Product placement | Permalink |
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Tyrrell corp. from Blade Runner and
Umbrella Corp. from Resident Evil
Posted by: inaki E. | May 15, 2009 9:55:10 AM
Does Dharma Count? Dharma Beer? Dharma Chips? Sorry Just Watched The LOST Season Finale. If Not...It's Have To Be Duff Beer from the Simpsons (Clearly Ripping on Budweiser) or Pautucket Patriots on Family Guy (Sam Adams?)
- David
Posted by: David Teicher (@Aerocles) | May 15, 2009 9:56:15 AM
Mine still remains Brawndo: The Thirst Mutilator, from Idiocracy. "It's got what plants crave!" And even tho the movie flopped, the product became popular enough on its own: http://www.google.com/search?q=brawndo
Posted by: urban bohemian | May 15, 2009 9:56:48 AM
Also...Veridian Dynamics (Better Off Ted)
Posted by: David Teicher (@Aerocles) | May 15, 2009 9:59:06 AM
All-time would be ACME, from the classic Road Runner/Warner Brothers cartoons.
But if you're talking about fake brands that are obvious parodies of real-world, I'd pick Duff Beer. D'oh!
Posted by: CT | May 15, 2009 10:05:36 AM
Slanket's real name is Snuggie.
Posted by: Deanna Taus | May 15, 2009 10:10:30 AM
I didn't appreciate the show up until the last couple years (and now it's finally drawn to a close) but 'Mega Lo Mart' from King of the Hill is one of the more deeply entrenched brands I've seen in a TV series.
Posted by: KB | May 15, 2009 10:19:11 AM
"Girls with Low Self-Esteem" from arrested development. ripping on the Girls Gone Wild series.
Posted by: illtroubadour | May 15, 2009 10:26:15 AM
Duff Beer or ACME. Which others have already said. Yeah, nothing is original anymore, not even my fave fake brands. Shucks.
Posted by: purplesime | May 15, 2009 10:29:04 AM
I'm a fan of Slurm from Futurama, due to their extensive advertising campaign and the portrayal of the maufacturing process to make it. It's not a rip of any one brand in particular, but of all soda brands in general.
Posted by: Jarred P | May 15, 2009 10:31:06 AM
also Senor Tadpoles (senor frogs), Klimpy's (Denny's), and Wee Britain (Little Italy) from Arrested Development.
Posted by: illtroubadour | May 15, 2009 10:36:01 AM
I'm a big fan of the fake brands used in Kevin Smith movies.
Mooby's fast food restaurant/media company made for some interesting commentary on Disney as well as the fast food industry.
Bean-N-Gone from Zack & Miri was a nice bit of word play for a minor movie element.
Zack & Miri also had my favorite fake sports team name with the Monroeville Zombies.
And finally my favorite of his fake brands, Nails cigarettes. Couldn't ask for a more appropriate name.
And you are right, the slanket is a real product, although I'm not sure which came first, the slanket or the snuggie. Neither can compare to the fake version from Real Time with Bill Maher: the SnugWow, a snuggie made from ShamWow material to avoid the inconvenience of food spills or getting up to go to the bathroom.
Posted by: Jon | May 15, 2009 11:59:58 AM
Does Dorm Life count? Because my vote is for SexZ BoyZ Body Spray. Makes you smell like a bug light!
Posted by: Nomie | May 15, 2009 12:02:59 PM
Blue Sun from Firefly/Serenity. It was barely-there, but also everywhere, and it was just fascinating in an in-the-background kind of way.
Posted by: Robyn | May 15, 2009 12:04:07 PM
Whoever said Slurm, I heartily agree. Twas my first thought. ^_^
Also MyFace or FaceSpace as myspace/fb ripoffs.
Tchotchke's in lieu of Friday's in Office Space (probably doesn't count as a product??)
Posted by: Amander | May 15, 2009 12:18:41 PM
everybody from texas will recognize the thinly veiled pabst product that is alamo beer in "king of the hill." that always cracks me upu.
Posted by: chop | May 15, 2009 12:37:15 PM
Definitely Schooner Tuna from "Mr. Mom".
Posted by: Jami | May 15, 2009 12:54:46 PM
The CafPow! drink from NCIS. Gibbs always brings Abby a big 32 oz. one as a peace offering, to the point she's so addicted to them she can't work without it.
Posted by: Mazarin | May 15, 2009 1:33:53 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktl6L3ZwvL4
Posted by: RS | May 15, 2009 3:01:00 PM
30 Rock has a great random assortment of fake products.
Posted by: Brian Son | May 15, 2009 3:17:07 PM
RePet - The pet cloning store from 'The 6th Day'
Posted by: Jeremy | May 15, 2009 4:38:18 PM
All the best ones are from The Simpsons: Duff Beer, Laramie Cigerettes, Buzz cola, The Kwiki Mart, Try N' Save, Krusty Burger, Krusty O's....the list goes on and on
Posted by: oat soda | May 15, 2009 7:59:54 PM
oat soda beat me too it... definitely the simpson's brands...
Posted by: Jack | May 18, 2009 2:12:56 PM
Morley's (via X-Files)
Posted by: Jennifer B | May 19, 2009 2:21:10 PM
