The summer movie season has arrived and this year’s selection of action films are revved up with motorcycle product placements.
Here are a few of them:
In a chase scene in “Terminator Salvation,” Ducati Hypermotards pursue resistance members on an empty highway.
A young and ambitious Captain Kirk drives to the Starship Enterprise on a modified Buell in the newest episode of “Star Trek.”
In the book-based film “Angels & Demons,” Vespas are seen driving around Rome.
In “X-Men Origins,” Wolverine takes his enemies while his on a Harley-Davidson Panhead.
Finally, Sam Witwicky will battle a Decepticon with the help of an MV Agusta in the much-anticipated sequel “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”
While motorcycles have suffered in terms of sales, they are making a strong impression on the big screen. Industry sales went down by 30 percent this year, because of the recession.
Nowadays, consumers look to trips and movies to escape the recession. That’s why manufacturers are securing product placements in these action films. These appearances strengthen the appeal of their products.
“A motorcycle is just a great character presentation, far more than a car even," said Dino Bernacchi from Harley-Davidson advertising, promotions, and entertainment.
“There’s millions of people that have the idea of motorcycling but haven't activated that passion yet. It's been proven time and time again, whether it's ‘Easy Rider’ or ‘Smoky and the Bandit.’ A cool product in a cool property can really get you thinking about taking that next step, and that's what we want to do: Put Harley-Davidson at the forefront of people's minds and do it with cool, expressive content that makes them want to act on that desire.”
For Ducati, product placement allows it to target new demographics. “Being in movies gives us a little more exposure to people that we generally don't advertise to,” explained Jim Viola, the marketing director for Ducati North America.
Viola says that product placements in blockbuster hits like “The Matrix” and “Terminator Salvation” ties their brand name to other brands in the movie. While the Ducati Hypermotard is not capable of flying 50 feet in the air (as shown in the movie), it represents Ducati’s performance orientation.
For other brands, these product placements are for familiarity and introduction. “We believe in product placement for the simple reason that Americans are not familiar with scooters,” said Paolo Timoni, Piaggio USA president and chief executive. “Part of our overall strategy is we want to do everything we can to convey the message that scooters are a normal product used by normal people and they are part of day-to-day life.”
Whether its for character presentation, brand tie-ins or familiarity, it looks like action stars will be camping with motorcycles on the silver screen this summer.
Source: LATimes.com