superman

Top 10 Uniforms as Halloween Costumes

Top 10 Uniforms as Halloween Costumes

We here at Pinnacle Promotions are in the branding business. We sell promotional items with your logo on them, branded marketing materials, and corporate gear and uniforms. So, when it comes to Halloween we can’t help but look at it through our “business” glasses. We have polled our team and developed the definitive “Top 10 Uniforms as Halloween Costumes” list. See if you agree!

10. Police Officer – Regular or S.W.A.T style.

9. Doctor – Regular or Zombified.

8. Nurse – Regular or Sultry.
Nurses

7. Football player – Extra points for the consistent team branding throughout.

6. Football referee – Last year’s referee uniforms were made extra-special by the addition of black glasses and Hoover canes to represent the blind referee take on the replacement refs used by the NFL during the 2012 strike. The Immaculate Deception still ranks as the #1 Blown Call by a Ref (Replacement Ref) in the history of the NFL.

5. Sons of Anarchy patched-jacket – You want to be in the club, you gotta wear the cut. Is there a better-branded show on TV right now? Everything on that show has a SOA logo on it!
Screen shot 2013-10-30 at 9.19.45 AM

4. Harry Potter school uniform – We particularly love the Hogwarts logo on the chest.
Hogwarts

3. Super Mario Brothers – Always a party favorite and branded with the classic “M.”

2. NASCAR Driver – This ranks pretty high because the excessive branding on NASCAR driver uniforms just speaks to us!

And the #1 “Uniform as Halloween Costume” is…(drumroll please)

1. Superman – Is there better branding in Halloween costumes than the simple, chest-sized “S” on Clark Kent’s uniform for his “other” job?!?!?! “This is a job for Superman!”

Screen shot 2013-10-30 at 9.27.22 AM

Tell us, did we miss anything? What is your favorite uniform as Halloween costume?

Pinnacle Promotions

Posted by Lee in Seasonal Marketing Ideas, 0 comments

Superman: Man of… Product Placement?

What are your thoughts on product placement in film and television? I’m talking about those scenes where our dashing hero jumps into a sleek sports car, but not before the camera dedicates a long moment to pan over the car model and ending on the company logo. Sometimes it’s as simple as a sitcom star taking a long drink from a soda can with the name pointed directly at viewers. Occasionally we notice them and let out a groan at how obvious and forced the product is, while other times it’s so subtly integrated that we accept it without further thought. Then there are cases so extreme that we must simply pause to gape at the sheer magnitude of it all.

With the release of Man of Steel, the newest Superman movie, we’ve been given such an occasion. Before the movie even hit theaters, it already counted with $160 million in product placement alone. Over 100 companies managed to get their brand associated with Superman. Did you like the glasses Clark Kent wears as he prepares to take on Metropolis and his new journalism job? Warby Parker provided them as one of two limited edition options that quickly sold out. If you ever wondered how Superman shaves (spoiler alert: we see a very scruffy Superman at the beginning of the film), Gillette sponsored a contest where users submitted videos with theories. They even got an entry from everyone’s favorite scientist, Bill Nye, to make a video. But the focus wasn’t just on products Superman uses, viewers were treated to a very clear shot of the  Nikon camera gear Lois Lane carries. Even the National Guard threw their hat into the promotional ring with commercials, theater spots, and recruiting posters.

As a Superman fan I definitely enjoyed the film, but readily admit that I cringed when a well choreographed fight scene barreled through an IHOP or panned by a Sears store. The question remains, can product placement be done correctly? I think so. I did enjoy the modern take on Kent’s glasses that Warby Parker designed, as the placement felt natural. And even as a die-hard Canon camera fan, I did get a kick out of seeing Lois Lane tote around her Nikon as she tried to get the latest scoop.If product placement is ever something you’d consider, strive to have the placement feel natural. Product placement works best if the audience doesn’t feel as if they are being force-fed an advertisement.

It’s important to be honest with yourself when it comes to placing your product or brand. Will the audience understand and is the placement appropriate? Last year The Lorax was released and the movie was harshly criticized for partnering with Mazda despite the film’s environmentally-friendly message. It’s the perfect example of the product not fitting the film. Even though I was slightly annoyed by Gillete partnering with Man of Steel, I understood it. The question of how Superman shaves has been a hotly debated topic among fans. Placements like these both sold a product and fit the storyline.

Movies like Man of Steel require a suspension of disbelief but it’s best to assume that the suspension does not extend to advertising. Viewers are savvy and have the power to turn your product placement into a sold-out commodity or a mocked embarrassment. Do your research and if your product doesn’t fit, it’s best to wait for a chance where it will.

Posted by Admin in Product Placement in the Media, 2 comments