Transformers: The Rise Of Chinese Product Placement

by Daniel Gilroy on Monday, July 11, 2011 6 comments

Many movie critics have slated the latest sequel in the Transformers franchise series, ‘Transformers: Dark Of The Moon‘ with one describing it as ‘two hours of incoherent drivel‘. Nonetheless Michael Bay’s third outing with the transforming robots has already earned $500 million nine days after its worldwide release and is on course to be the ninth movie to ever make it past $1 billion dollars at the box office.

Metersbonwe - Transformers product placement

Metersbonwe in Transformers 2 (Courtesy of Penn Olson)

The latest Transformers (变形金刚) film will not be released in Mainland China until the 21st July 2011, but pirated versions are already popping up all over Chinese internet sites. The Transformers series is extremely popular with the Chinese, and marketing managers are taking advantage of this through product placement.

According to the site The Economic Observer, Chinese people hate product placement in their domestic tv shows / movies, but enjoy a sense of pride when they see homegrown products and brands in Western films.

Fashion brand Meters/bonwe became the first Chinese brand to feature in the series, appearing twice in the second film, ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen‘. For the third film the number of Chinese brands featured has increased to four. This may seem like a lot, but the total number of brands / products that have paid to be placed in the latest film stands at a staggering 68 and includes big names from Apple, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Nokia, Adidas, Nike, and even Starbucks.

Here are the Chinese brands that feature in the film:

Yi-Li: Shuhua Milk

Perhaps the oddest of the four products to feature in the films, but the comedy of the placement and the fact it features in the script makes ‘Shuhua Milk‘ the most memorable.

Meters/bonwe: M-Tee

Within 5 minutes of the film starting, leading actor Shia Labeouf appears wearing a Meters/bonwe MTEE t-shirt.

Lenovo: Ideacentre A series

Lenovo desktops / laptops feature throughout the movie.

TCL (The Creative Life): HDTV range

TCL was personally handpicked by the US film outfit and by movie director Michael Bay for its creative technological innovations and brand concept which make it the perfect marketing tool for the movie.

(Watch on Youku)

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6 Comments

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Magnus

Monday, July 11, 2011 at 11:05 am

They should have put a ChinaSmack product placement on Megatron’s eyeball or something. You’d get tons more traffic.

mooseandhorse

Monday, July 11, 2011 at 11:06 am

I was wondering why it was a lenovo computer and not a western brand. Ha! Good job Transformers and Shia LaBoeuf for making an action packed CG movie, though the female cast were on the awkward side.

- exoticgod
  
  Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 10:13 am
  
  Western Brand? Aside from Apple, western pc are no match in performance or quality against Asian brands. Dell and HP both have their problem which consumers have been dealing with them for years.
  Toshiba is upgrading and dealing with consumer wisely in contracting with UPS with parts.
  Samsung and LG, both are improving and looks are appealing and performance are outstanding.
  Sony as usual one of the best in technology.
  Acer and Asus, both Netpad are amazing and price is well set.
  Lenovo, buying off IBM pc sector has improved them advancing in US and Europe, with their contract with cooperation and schools across the world. Whether you work at Goldman Sachs or a small law firm in New Jersey, your pc is prepared by Lenovo.
  
raab

Monday, July 11, 2011 at 11:11 am

I must reiterate how I love this advertising section. Good article.

The Green Oak

Monday, July 11, 2011 at 11:28 am

Like in everything, they wanna also be part of it :/

mahamudulhassan

Sunday, July 17, 2011 at 3:18 pm

i love the way the lenovo thinpad 14″ series have been used for the little tiny and techy aliens who used to spy to his alien team it was a great th ing i have ever seen with any laptop what lenovo because i am using lenovo think pad