The Perks And Perils Of Product Placement

Some people refer to it by its official title “And Just Like That” while others still insist on calling it “Sex And The City.” And that’s just one of many debates swirling around as the one of the most passionately hate-watched shows in television history finished streaming its debut season. Should Miranda have gone to LA with Che Diaz? Can smoking really bring you the man of your dreams like it did for Seema? And what the hell was Carrie wearing on that bridge in Paris? But within the walls of Wise Collective, we’re still debating the most burning question of the premiere episode that aired on December 9th: Did the folks at Peloton get the script in advance? Our Global Managing Director and Chief of Staff, Robert Zimmerman – who’s represented a broad array of celebrities such as Sean Combs, and ran global communications for WWE where he fielded more 400 product placement requests -- thinks Peloton got a copy of the script, but then the IP lawyers dropped the ball by not pushing back to get the full context of the bike’s place in the story. My personal theory is that Peloton execs were so enthralled by the possibility of product placement in one of the most iconic -- and brand enhancing -- franchises of all time that they simply rolled over when the producers refused to provide the script that had Mr. Big dropping dead from a heart attack after stepping off his Peloton bike. But Rob and I firmly agree on one point: NOBODY at Peloton read the damn script!

As someone who came to the world of product placement from a Public Relations background, and not a marketing one, I always approach the possibility of pop culture inclusion with the same level of caution I apply to interview requests that come on the heels of a crisis. I ask lots of questions, I do a ton of research, and I never let anyone (especially myself) forget that the option of saying no, and simply walking away, is always on the table.

In 2004, after ten years in the PR agency world specializing in corporate communications, I became Director of Communications at The New York Palace Hotel. Formerly known as The Helmsley Palace, my first directive was getting the hotel beyond the image of Leona Helmsley. After a rigorous tour of the 55-story landmark property, I quickly realized that it was a filming location dream. I got buy-in from the owner at the time, Prince Jefri of Brunei, hosted an elegant reception for the best location managers in New York, conducted literally hundreds of filming requests, read a mountain of scripts, and chose (relatively) wisely.

Some were money plays (Law & Order, Lipstick Jungle, CSI: New York). Some were image plays (Mario Testino shooting for Vogue, Joan Rivers interviewing Jadakiss). All projects had to submit a script and I could always tell I was working with a great producer when they made me sign an NDA before I could read it. Promises of prominent on-screen placement of the Palace signage and logo -- coming from the producers of the Lindsay Lohan/Chris Pine rom-com “Just My Luck” -- proved to be empty. But we did get 40k a day in location fees for the shoot in the Madison Avenue Courtyard. Two years later, when one of those same producers re-emerged with a request for Katherine Heigl’s  “27 Dresses,” I made my disappointment very clear by charging her 50K for the day. I have to say, Ms. Heigl was lovely to the entire staff.

The original “Gossip Girl” was our biggest success and also the biggest risk. It was here that I developed my roadmap for brand exposure through product placement. I worked with hotel ownership to establish best-case scenarios, worst-case scenarios, crisis communications plans, and an acceptable level of risk. Based on a popular series of young adult novels, the series focused on a group of wealthy, precocious teenagers in Manhattan. Originally in the script as “The Madison Hotel,” one of our terms for allowing the filming was for them to call the hotel by it’s actual name.  For the first two seasons, The Palace played an integral role as the residence of Blake Lively’s character and a central meeting place. The year was 2007 and we saw the long-term potential to position the hotel as the iconic New York luxury hotel. So we took certain risks by green-lighting on-site production of scenes involving high-class call girls, pot smoking, and teenage drinking with the two female leads casually enjoying cocktails at the hotel bar. With the exception of some moral outage from The National Review, there really weren’t any negative consequences on the PR front. And the short-term benefits were bountiful: tour buses put The Palace on their route, the stars of the show sang the praises of the show in the (pre-social) media, “The Gossip Grill” — a truffle grilled cheese created for an episode by our Chef — was written up in People Magazine, and they named a recurring character “Pete Holmberg” in a show of appreciation to yours truly. The long-term benefits were substantial: 15 years later a “Gossip Girl Weekend” package continues to bring new generations and significant revenue to the hotel, and when The Palacel was sold in 2011, The Wall Street Journal referred to it as “the hotel of Gossip Girl” when citing the reasons for the greater-than expected $400 million sale. 

We certainly empathize with the folks at Peloton. They must have been very excited in the days leading up to the AJLT Premiere. Jess King, one of their best instructors, was playing an instructor named Allegra. Chris Noth was seen riding the bike in promotional trailers. You have to believe that they were absolutely thrilled and bragging about it to anyone who would listen. But then, they were harshly reminded that free product placement is no different than free press. The same powerful force that can send your brand soaring to new heights can easily — and just like that — bring it crashing down to Earth.