"Does that look like a Ford to you?" : Företagsimage i spelfilm och reklamfilm

Sammanfattning: Studies show that product placement is becoming a more and more common method for companies to use when communicating with consumers. The results of this study can’t confirm nor deny that claim, but instead we offered the observation that as a communication method, product placement and TV-commercials are more similar than revealed at first glance. Cars of the brand Ford appeared in seven out of the 50 motion pictures that made up the sample material in this study. In several instances the values that were communicated regarding the brand matched, completely or in large parts, the values communicated about the Ford brand in Ford’s own commercials. This doesn’t hold true for all companies. The similarities between Ford’s commercials and Ford’s appearances in motion pictures were only found after disregarding several companies whose appearances on screen didn’t amount to more than a flash of their logotype or a passing mention of a brand name. Still, the possibility to use the appearance of brands in motion pictures in a way equal to the communicative effort that’s taking place in a commercial is very much a reality.