posted
I just have to know...is it somehow possible to get corporate sponsorship for a novel if you, say, slide 100 or so references to Coca Cola during the course of the story?
I just finished reading Book 4 in "The Dresden Files" and there were a couple of points where I found myself thinking (and at one point saying aloud), "And now a word from our sponsor -- Drink Coca Cola!"
So, is Coke paying him or is this just an annoying writing quirk? Have you spotted this kind of thing in any other novels?
posted
Wow. I've noticed this in movies ("Now, let's hop into our BMW Z4 limited edition which can go from 0 to 60 in 2 seconds and has lovely aerodynamic curves just perfect for our getaway!") but not in books.
posted
In movies, the products are definitely paid advertisements. Not sure about books, but I noticed in a couple of Dean Koontz's books, he used quite a bit of name-brand products. Enough for me to notice anyway. For me, it just looks strange in print. Almost like a...well...paid advertisement.
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posted
I suspect some authors use brand names as a way to designate place, time, and character. I.E., we can deduce a lot from the fact that a character drinks Southern Comfort vs. Macallan 18, much more than if we just said "whiskey" or "cheap whiskey" vs. "fine whiskey." But it's a fine line--sometimes it feels a little gimmicky--and if done too often, leaves the impression the author is pushing something other than his or her prose.
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posted
And if you happen to be a southerner, you probably refer to most if not all "sodas" (or whatever they're called in your part of the country) as "Coke".
They are definitely paid in movies. I never heard of their being paid in novels, but anything is possible. You'd have to convince the corporation they'd get their money's worth which might not be that easy.
[This message has been edited by JeanneT (edited January 06, 2008).]
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Ian Fleming uses expensive brands to establish Bond's penchant for fine living. (And yes, I think it was autobiographical too, reflecting Fleming's own taste.)
Annepin's comment reminds me that I suspect none of my characters know what Macallan 18 is ... yet.
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Oh yeah, it's well known that movies are paid for product placement. Drives me nuts there, too.
In the case of the book I just finished (The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher) I'm sure he did not mean "Coke" as any type of soda. Jim Butcher is from Kansas City and the story is set in Chicago. Plus, there was even a point where the MC put on a COca Cola hat!!! (It was REALLY thick.) This went way beyond establishing time, place, or character.
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Personally, I prefer specific details, especially when they tell us something about the person. I don't think it has to be product placement, so much as the author stopping to think what Dresden might drink. (I saw him as more of a Shasta or other "cheap brand" kind of guy, myself.) (
In Dresden's case, I don't know. Never read the books, only saw the series. Insert rant about decent shows getting the axe here, please.) Was it overdone? I could see it mentioned briefly and then forgotten. If it keeps coming up, with emphasis on how much he likes it and stocks his fridge with it... who knows.
Anyone ever watch the show Life? I stopped after a few episodes because it didn't go the way I thought it was going to go, but one thing did turn me off aside from the show itself. His partner is an ex-alcoholic, ex-druggie. In one scene she was putting away some groceries and I caught a glimpse of a product. It was a frozen-food vegetarian "brand" product. (I recognized it because I eat them sometimes.) As far as I know, only vegetarians ear them. The character did not in any way strike me as being a vegetarian, given what else had been revealed about her and her family. It really seemed off. If they were going that way, it should have been detailed more.
(Disclaimer: yes, I know a person could be a vegetarian without fitting a certain profile. People are usually surprised if they manage to find out I am one, too. In the case of the show, it did more to break my concentration than to build the character up.)
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lehollis: I'm with you about the show! Although now that I've read 4 books into the series, they had already screwed up the first season so badly that they wouldn't have been able to take advantage of the best parts of the series. The vampires, in particular, were extremely badly handled in the show compared to the book. But it played well on TV. Butcher is one of those writers who can tell a good story but who has some serious stylistic weaknesses. The Coke thing could be an offshoot of one weakness, which is that he likes to get very specific and very detailed in his description -- and then do it again in case we weren't paying attention before. Posts: 3567 | Registered: May 2003
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