Watch those videos closely and notice the name-brand cars, clothes, jewelry and electronics in each scene. They didn't just fall from the sky. Their placements are calculated and deliberate.

To find out how to get your client’s message embedded in a music video, read on.

This is one in a Media Life series on buying the new out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.

Fast Facts

What
Product placement in music videos.

Who
There are numerous programs for product placement in music videos. For this article, Media Life spoke with Propaganda Global Entertainment Marketing (Propaganda GEM) of Los Angeles, a company that has been doing product placement since 1991 and has developed a measurement protocol.

How it works
Products and logos are placed in music videos in a variety of ways, ranging from appearing in the background to being worn or handled by the performers.

“Hands-on or featured use are the more desired placements,” says managing director Arden Doss.

A successful placement is tied closely to the type of music video in which it appears.

“There are genres--story, lifestyle and performance or concert--that lend themselves to different uses and applications,” Doss says. The goal is to find a music genre and performer that’s a fit for the product. 

“If a music video seems like it’s becoming an advertisement, we stop,” Doss says. “This is different than a commercial. The goal is to seamlessly marry a product that fits within the story being told or the lifestyle being communicated.”

A factor in reaching a specific audience can be the type of screen on which a video is watched. “Television, computer and pocket mobile or iPod seem to be the three areas right now where people view and watch,” Doss says.

The average length of a music video is three minutes, which is also the length of a song produced for radio, though some can run much longer, as in the case of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” which is 15 minutes.

Advertisers work with a placement agency on an ongoing basis to arrange placements, and a product will often appear in more than one music video. For example, Bang & Olufsen’s television screens are integrated into a Moby and Gwen Stefani video “South Side,” Jennifer Lopez’s “Ain’t it Funny,” Pink’s “Family Portrait,” Usher’s “U Got It Bad” and Enrique Iglesias and Lionel Richie’s “To Love A Woman.”

There are often multiple products placed in a video. For example, Moby featured three Propaganda GEM clients in one.

“Assume the clothes people are wearing are placed there, the accessories, everything that establishes a character in a scene,” Doss says.

When the celebrity status is high, the payback can be phenomenal. When Jennifer Lopez acted out purchasing a watch in one of her videos, for instance, the featured store fielded 10,000 inquiries. People wanted to know what brand of watch she bought.

Online campaigns or sweepstakes can be tied to product placement programs.

How it is measured
PREVA Media of Geneva, Switzerland, a spinoff of Propaganda GEM, has developed a methodology for evaluating qualitative and quantitative aspects of product placement. For music videos, PREVA evaluates based on recall and also on a more traditional gross rating point (GRP) system.

“First we measure gross impressions, depending on integration of the product,” says Severine Lauber, PREVA Media's director of media analysis. “There are nine categories to gauge it.”

The recall process uses the total projected audience of the program weighted by the average recall rate in order to determine the effective audience. The effective audience is then factored by the Value Per Thousand Contacts (VPM) resulting in the effective media value (EMV).

The GRP Projection method allows for a more straightforward comparison with traditional media for advertisers who prefer it.

“There’s a higher recall rate when the main character picks up a product than if it’s in the background and maybe can only be seen once,” Doss says.

“PREVA looks at the times a product is seen and the placement quality. Is it a close-up shot? Does the main or secondary character use it? Is there a verbal reference? Does it play a role in the story? Can you see the logo or the product itself?”

What product categories do well
High-end luxury products are well suited for placement in music videos. Automobiles, clothing, jewelry and electronics are top categories.

Identifiable brands are easier to place than esoteric items, Doss says. Small products, like watches, are difficult to place unless a close-up camera shot is part of the deal. Beer and spirits generally aren’t featured.

Demographics
A level of targeting is accomplished by placing a product with a specific performer who appeals to that audience. “We first match what intrinsically fits and try to get in on the ground level and influence props, wardrobe, etc.,” Doss says.

Factors that can’t be controlled but can often be predicted are the delivery, when and how often a video will be aired, and if it will catch on and become popular globally.

Making the buy
Lead time varies with the type of music featured in the video, Doss says. “It can happen in days or weeks or could take months depending on the type of song. Different genres move at different paces.” 

Who’s already embedding in music videos
Bang & Olufsen, Bulgari, Boblbee, Nokia and Bentley Motors have recently appeared in music videos.

What they’re saying
“The music video realm is a natural extension of our brand. We use it to drive consumer curiosity, to generate brand appeal and as a retention tool. Customers who own our products find it rewarding when they see them on the set of a high-profile video. It also generates brand awareness for our company. Consumers see that sleek plasma and wonder what it is and think ‘I want something like that.’” – Monica Gartner, public relations manager for Bang & Olufsen U.S.

Web site info
Propaganda GEM at www.propagandagem.com

Etc.
Propaganda GEM also does product placement in films, television and video games. Says Doss: "Clients usually do a program that includes other properties like movies, games. For instance, when Will Smith does a movie he does a music video in association with it.”