raybear: (Spike)
[personal profile] raybear
This morning I came across this article on advertising in books.


Ford advertises the literary way
By Martin Plaut
BBC News

We have got used to seeing consumer products promoted in films and television programmes.

But Ford is claiming a first with a deal that puts its cars into the pages of a book.

The company has paid British novelist Carole Matthews to mention their cars prominently in her work.

Ms Matthews is what's called a "chick lit" writer, producing romantic fiction that appeals specifically to young women.

She has been paid to include a Ford in her latest book - The Sweetest Taboo.

The car giant also commissioned her to write short stories for women's magazines and its own website.

Read all about it

One snippet from a story on the Ford website entitled A Racy Little Number reads:

"I look out of the window of the shop and eye my lovely Ford Fiesta Roxanne with something approaching misery.

"Last year was a different story. Business was booming and I splashed out on my first-ever new car. Brand spanking new - complete with enough gadgets to keep even Alex amused.

"She's red, raunchy and drives like a dream and now, she's got to go. Believe me, it will be like cutting off one of my own arms."

So is this a devaluation of literature? Carole Matthews says she had no problems accepting the Ford commission.

No sell-out

Wherever my heroine is driving a car, it will now be a Ford Fiesta," she told the BBC's World Business Report.

"That's the only thing they've asked me to do, they've placed no other constraints on my writing at all."

She added that the deal showed that Ford had "woken up to the fact that young women have money, and we like cars, and we don't rely on our husbands to buy them for us."

While this is believed to be the first time that cars have been promoted through popular novels, the ploy of literary product placement is not a new one.

Three years ago, celebrated British novelist Faye Weldon brokered a deal with Italian jewellery maker Bulgari to plug their products in a novel appropriately entitled 'The Bulgari Collection.'



Which, of course, squicks me out. Then again, if some big company contacted me today and wanted to give me boatloads of money to write a story prominently featuring their product, I can't say I wouldn't be tempted. Maybe that's what pseudonyms are for. Except, I'm guessing the reason they would approach me in the first place is name recognition. Perhaps I should start establishing my whoring nom de plume now.

Last night I went to see "Dawn of the Dead" with [livejournal.com profile] vimandvigor, starring the Canadian Uma Thurman and the poor man's Hugh Jackman, which was a pretty horrible movie. I don't mean "horrible" because of it's gore and horror factor, I mean it was crappily made and acted. But you know, I can still have lots of fun in a bad movie if I have the right attitude and right company, which I did. Especially since it was in the realm of so bad it was good. In addition to zombies-on-fire! there was also zombie-baby! Unfortunately or fortunately there wasn't a zombie-dog. I was hoping it would happen even though it would creep me out more and I'd probably make Sophie sleep in a crate for several nights.

I had dreams based on the movie, but they weren't nightmares. I was just packing up food and supplies for a long trip in an RV where I would be isolated from civiliation for an undetermined amount of time. But I don't know why I was doing it -- there didn't seem to be any zombies present.

Perhaps I should have just rented the original. Except I doubt that one has such highly amusing montage sequences. I'm mildly obsessed with them. I want to make a montage movie of montages.

Date: 2004-03-24 08:09 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] drood.livejournal.com
Fay Weldon was the first outright to accept money for her Bulgari mentions a few years ago, and although my first reaction was, One of my favorite authors is selling out!, I'm amazed at how quickly I reconciled to the decision. Authors have been bringing attention to products and companies for years. Authors are artists, yes, but they also have to be businessmen and women as well.

I'd do it. I'd balk at writing an entire book about a talking Ford Fiesta that espoused its virtues at regular intervals, but if having a heroine drive a Ford Fiesta that was mentioned only a few times kept me writing for another year, hell yeah.

Date: 2004-03-24 08:49 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] stingysnoozer.livejournal.com
I usually avoid horror movies because I really do scare easily, but I found Dawn of the Dead to be extremely satisfying. Sarah Polley (of "Road to Avonlea")? Ving Rhames? I had to go. On opening night, no less.

Date: 2004-03-24 08:55 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] raybear.livejournal.com
As bad as the movie was, I too found it extremely satisfying to watch.

Date: 2004-03-24 10:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] queermarcus.livejournal.com
Sarah Polley does look like Uma Thurman. I never realized this before.
From: [identity profile] raybear.livejournal.com
I pretty much spent the whole movie thinking "I can't believe that's not Uma Thurman." Just like when I saw Pirates of the Caribbean and spend the whole movie thinking "I can't believe that's not Natalie Portman."
From: [identity profile] stingysnoozer.livejournal.com
And they were both in the Adventures of Baron Munchausen! Or whatever that movie was called...
From: [identity profile] raybear.livejournal.com
OMG! i had no idea! probably because i haven't seen that movie in ten years and they weren't famous then. i'm putting that movie on my netflix queue.

Date: 2004-03-25 06:26 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] limenal.livejournal.com
I would like to have a small collaborating role in producing the winter montage for your movie of montages, if you decide to create an original winter montage. I would also be happy to participate in creating a montage of winter montages, which could be a sub-part of your montage movie.

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