Product Integration - The Savvy Screenwriters' Ace in the Hole

by Script Analyst, Nicole Berger

I know, it's horrible, it's awful, but who ever mistook Grauman's Chinese Theatre for a Buddhist Temple? In other words, filmmaking is a business, which is why the majority of TV shows and films made these days have alternative funding derived from Product Integration spots. According to PQ Media over 5 billion dollars are spent every year in the US alone on embedded advertising. Therefore, to be ahead of the game as a screenwriter it would be wise to understand how Product Integration works and how it might work for you. To be armed with this valuable knowledge, your skill set should include:

a.) Knowing what potential branding already exists in your script.

b.) The ability to come up with clever integration ideas and good dialogue that can be added into a script without compromising the integrity of the film.

Alongside analyzing scripts for individual writers I've worked as an Analyst and Set Liaison the past 7 years for one of the largest product integration firms in Hollywood, which is why I know that there are hundreds of brands looking for films in which to place their products. The mechanics behind this form of advertising have historically been shrouded in darkness. However, I will share a few of the most important elements of the creative process with you. The foregoing will break down the often confused difference between Product Placement and Product Integration, the key to finding potential branding in your script, the Power Point Presentations we send to brands to pique their interest in a project, and the actual Writing of Integrations.

1. PRODUCT PLACEMENT versus PRODUCT INTEGRATION

The first thing I had to learn at my job was the difference between Product Placement and Product Integration. Generally, when we think of products in films or TV we think, for example, of a character drinking a can of Coca-Cola, which is what we know as Product Placement. (This will only get a production a few free crates of Coke and a dozen or so t-shirts). Product branding has developed into something far more creative AND lucrative for filmmakers than mere Placement. Now products are actually integrated into the storyline of a script via dialogue, theme, action and visuals. The amount of time a product gets on screen and the depth of the integration into the plot dictate how much money the filmmakers will receive. Distribution plays another role - the greater number of people watching the film, the greater the payout. Basically, the difference between Placement and Integration is DIALOGUE and ACTION. If a Redbull is sitting on a kitchen counter with the name prominently displayed it is Placement. However, if Redbull is integrated into the dialogue and action it is Integration. Some Integrations are just 15-60 seconds long, others exist throughout the storyline (as with Redbull on Family Guy). Here's an example of a short, mock Integration for Redbull:

Int. Kitchen - Day

Tony and Lisa are back at the house unpacking groceries.



Tony takes a REDBULL out of the refrigerator, cracks it open and takes a big swig.



Notice above that the characters, 1.) mention the name of the product, 2.) say what it is used for and 3.) use the product. If this were a Placement the characters would probably only unpack the item from the grocery bag in a manner in which the name is prominently displayed.

2. ANALYZING YOUR SCRIPT FOR POTENTIAL BRANDING

As a Script Analyst at a branding company, I've read hundreds of Screenplays in search of possible moments where in products could be written. Most scripts already have products being used. Unless your script is a period piece set over a hundred years ago - your characters are probably using products!

The strongest time period for Product Integration is generally present day. This is because brands often have new sets of objectives and packaging that they want to push. For example, Cadillac doesn't want to be seen any longer as the vehicle used by big shots; they're willing to pay to have their car used in a film with a scientist driving a Cadi. Sci-Fi films have potential branding possibilities too. The "Audi RSQ" concept car that played a central role in I, Robot was created specifically for the film. The past is not an impossible challenge either; there are a several products that have been around for decades that can work in period projects. Canadian Club, for example, is Don Draper's Whisky of choice on Mad Men and was featured on Boardwalk Empire. Canadian's marketing strategy also included a high profile party in Hollywood at the R Bar with drinks named after characters on Empire.

Basic Types of Products to look for when giving you're script a product analysis are: Food/Beverages (grocery items, alcohol, restaurants, fast food, snacks, etc.), Electronics (telephones, computers, applications, household tools), Vehicles (automobiles, bikes, motorcycles, planes), Apparel (accessories, shoes, bags, vendors), Locations (gyms, amusement parks, hotels, foreign travel), Personal Hygiene and Cleaning Products (dish soap, shampoo, lotion, etc.)

The form I use when doing a Product Breakdown has six columns:

1. Type of Product
2. Specific Product
3. Brand name used (if any)
4. All of the pages where this product occurs in the script
5. Sample dialogue or action that shows how it is being used
6. Ideas for which brands to approach and/or integration concept

Believe it or not, the writers and filmmakers we work with are always surprised by the possibilities for product branding that they hadn't yet considered.

I also create a demographic profile of the film's audience for the filmmakers that includes gender, income and age range so that we don't waste time pursuing brands whose buyers don't match the film's target audience. For example, there's no use in branding tampons into an action film that will appeal primarily to men.

Something very important to the brands is that their product not be depicted in a negative manner. For example, Bosch Drills never wants their product used in a horror film in which someone's head gets drilled to a wall! Another example, McDonald's doesn't want a scene in which a classmate reminds a friend that there is no nutrition in a Big Mac. When you come across product usage that is going to depict a brand in a negative light - just move on; it's a waste of your energy and there are dozens of other options.

3. APPROACHING THE BRANDS WITH A SIMPLE PRESENTATION

Most companies, like the one I work for, have a mile long list of brands with which they have been cultivating relationships and know what their current brand objectives are. Therefore, we approach a pool of brands that we think are appropriate for a particular project from a long list of options. However, filmmakers working without a firm can also approach brands cold turkey and if they have a good sales-pitch the brand will ask them to send over a package. They don't want to read an entire script (and they won't). They want to see something simple and easy to look at that let's them know what the film is about and how their brand will be integrated into it.

They are then e-mailed an electronic Power Point Presentation called a Deck that is about 10 pages long. In addition to including mock poster art it also includes a synopsis, cast/crew selling points, projected release dates, etc. But more importantly to you writers, there are some basic ideas of how the brand could be written into the storyline. For example, let's say your film is about a teenager who wants to play soccer professionally, against his mother's better judgment. It's called, "The Midfield Maestro." The "Integration" page in a Power Point to ADIDAS, for example, would say something like:

In an emotionally significant scene JULIAN'S mother CASI takes him to a sporting goods store where she gives him money to buy the cleats he desperately needs for his next game: a pair of Men's ADIDAS (F50 adiZero TRX FG) Leather Cleats. JULIAN beams when he looks at himself in the mirror with the new slick shoes on. While shopping they discuss his college plans; his mother is starting to support him in his dream. Following this scene there will be another placement of ADIDAS CLEATS in the locker room in which JULIAN puts the shoes on while mentally preparing himself for the game.

Side note: as a screenwriter soliciting your script you too can create a Power Point Presentation that will pique interest in Producers and the like. Most people will not take the time to read a screenplay but they will look at a colorful presentation received as an easy e-mail attachment.

4. WRITING INTEGRATIONS INTO YOUR SCRIPT

An integration doesn't have to be a "sell-out" moment that destroys the integrity of a film. Products are used in everyday life. The challenge is to write the integration organically - not everyone can do this with ease. It's amazing how many writers and filmmakers (even pros) haven't wrapped their minds around the art form.

Once a brand has expressed interest, the Producer will ask the Screenwriter (if they have a good working relationship) to assist in writing an integration that will be approved by the product line. As a writer you want to be involved in this process as much as possible so that you don't look bad if the integration stinks.

The key to good product integration is seamlessness or at the very least, a great sense of humor. It takes some finesse to avoid being obvious; neither the filmmakers nor the brand want the audience to be hit over the head and pulled out of the story with what feels like a commercial unless you're making a joke out of it as in the film "Wayne's World," when Wayne says "Contract or no, I will not bow to any corporate sponsor," as he opens up a box of Pizza Hut, the camera stays on the logo and he smiles with a slice next to his face.

Smart integrations are usually an extension of a character's personality; if you know your characters really well you can play off of behavior the audience will find authentic from them. For example, in an old but brilliant integration with Groucho Marx from "Horse Feathers," Thelma Todd falls out of a canoe and calls for a life saver so Groucho tosses her a Life Savers' candy. The reason this works so great is because we know Groucho as a prankster who always puts humor above chivalry. If you have a character who's into fashion (like a Carrie Bradshaw type) you could easily write an integration for a clothing brand in which she camps out, for example, on the sidewalk of a department store the night before a big sale so that she can get a discount on a dress she's been eyeing.

A light hearted attitude when approaching this form of writing is very helpful; in general, it's hard to force a joke or a good idea. In addition, there is a certain amount of back and forth that can take place between the brands and the filmmakers as the two parties attempt to sculpt an integration that meets both a brand's objectives and is entertaining. It's a unique beast but as a writer, if you see it as a worth while challenge, it can be fun.

For further information on Product Integration such as upcoming classes or to request analysis contact Nicole at nikkisberger@yahoo.com.

Product Analysis ($95)
Traditional Script Analysis ($125)
Power Point Presentations ($100) designed uniquely for your script

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Updated: 09/07/2011