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I was watching the film Ant-Man when I saw a character using a Dell Rugged. I thought it was weird how many different films seem to feature this same laptop. Why do so many movies feature the Dell Rugged?

Ant-man Ant-man

Interstellar

interstellar Orphan Black

GONE GIRL

There are hundreds of movies where they are using Dell Rugged, but why? In some cases it can be justified, like in a military action scene, but why would Ant-Man be using one?

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Usually when you see such an obvious product in a movie or TV show it's a product placement. This is when a company pays the filmmaker to include their product in the movie or TV show.

Product placement, also known as embedded marketing, is a marketing technique where references to specific brands or products are incorporated into another work, such as a film or television program, with specific promotional intent.

It can make some scenes more realistic than having obviously made-up products like soft drinks and cereal boxes. Or, if done poorly, it can look ridiculous, or even bizarre.

A great example of pushback to product placement is the movie Repo Man where all of the food products are generic with white labels and black type on them. The beer is simply labeled "Beer" with no branding whatsoever, for example. I think at one point there may have even been cans simply labeled, "Food", if I recall correctly.

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  • So marvel receive money to do a product placement, but what kind of persons buy a Dell Rugged ? Or the product placement is for the brand and not for the product himself like the rugged laptop ? Well in fact the only kind of person can buy a Dell Rugged is for building constructions,army, adventurers, or maybe people like that style of laptop (Like me) . But do you think than Dell paid Marvel to do a product placement just for the Brand or the product himself ?
    – David Martins
    Commented Nov 15, 2018 at 7:55
  • @DavidMartins Advertising the brand and advertising the specific product is not and either/or proposition. Any publicity this placement might generate is a win for Dell.
    – Steve-O
    Commented Nov 15, 2018 at 14:51
  • I think Steve-O is right. Additionally, I'm sure there are some contracts that dictate a specific product be used and others that allow the director some freedom. In "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian", there's a character from the 1940's named Joey who's really good with radios. At the end, he's in his bedroom working on a new radio when his mother calls him for dinner. She says something like, "Joey Motorola, get down here and eat your dinner!" I doubt Motorola specified their placement should be like that.They probably just paid for some placement and that's what they got.
    – user1118321
    Commented Nov 15, 2018 at 17:00

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