In 2006, movie star Will Ferrell wrote, produced and starred in a film titled “Talladega Nights,” in which he played a NASCAR driver that was sponsored by Wonder Bread, a product owned by Interstate Bakeries Corporation. In the film, Wonder Bread’s logo appears in abundance, to the point where, according to AdAge, the brand could have made $4.3 million on exposure, should they have charged the production studios for using the brand and logo.
But, the companies did not exchange any money. Wonder Bread simply licensed the use of it’s logo for more awareness, hoping it could help pull the brand out of bankruptcy.
While most product labels featured in films either receive a payment from the studio, or sponsor the producers in exchange for brand awareness, one company is asking that its label be erased from a major motion picture. “Flight,” a critically acclaimed drama starring Denzel Washington as an alcoholic commercial pilot, was recently released in theaters nationwide and features numerous shots where Anheuser-Busch and Stolichnaya logos are in focus.
“We would never condone the misuse of our products, and have a long history of promoting responsible drinking and preventing drunk driving,” Anheuser-Busch said in statement to the Associated Press. “We have asked the studio to obscure the Budweiser trademark in current digital copies of the movie and on all subsequent adaptations of the film, including DVD, On Demand, streaming and additional prints not yet distributed to theaters.”
It’s clear that a company’s logo is a major defining factor of the brand. Any sort of representation should be done under careful consideration. Furthermore, ensuring that a business is appropriately represented in the first place by high-quality, custom labels can go a long way in building brand recognition and customer loyalty. By investing in a Primera LX900 color label printer, businesses can ensure they are well represented both in print and advertisements, as well as on the store shelves.
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