Brand Names in Novels?

Hi Vince,

Although product placement has been played with, without much success, mostly due to readers having similar negative reactions it's not something that I believe is standard practise at Harlequin. I can't remember who the publisher was but there was some issue with a recent teen novel doing this lately, NOT us. And I seem to recall that a few years back one of our Red Dress Ink titles featured product placement for Bacardi, I think there was even a special martini drink recipe included with the book?...I know we ALL got shot glasses in our Christmas packages at work that year, LOL.

But in general I would have to say you won't find too much of it here. I would wager that what you are seeing is just the authors trying to add color and background and context to the worlds their characters are inhabiting

Jayne

Love Jayne's post with the insider look at the issue!

It must be hard as an author to decide what to do with brand names...whether they add colour or detract from the story.  I know in the past there have been times when I've been thrown out of a story because it mentioned a brand name (of course now I can't think of the example!). 

I do love it though when a book mentions a local store or restaurant in a city/town I've visited...somehow in that case it's charming.

Vince, again I have to step in to say my $0.02.  My thinking is that our authors are actually more concerned with telling a good story, than figuring out how to work out a product placement in the book. 

Jayne 

I don't think anyone really has a problem with, "Mike stepped up to the counter and ordered a diet coke," but I WOULD have a problem if the "book" (term used loosely here), in actuality, turned out to be a "hidden" advertisement for a particular brand of clothing, etc., or if EVERY product it mentioned was branded: "Liz painted little Matt's bedroom with BENJAMIN-MOORE paint in a colour that matched the MARTHA STEWART comforter she bought at KMART,"

I think, if the product was McDonalds, Coke, a car (Mercedes, BMW, etc.), or shoes in chick lit, etc., I wouldn't think anything of it.  In fact, I get a little distracted and irritated when authors obviously try to avoid a major brand name that fits into the story.  But, outright advertising would annoy me.  Because I didn't purchase the book to get advertisements.  I have enough of that on TV.

On this particularlly sun drenched morning...the sounds of ornamental and beach grasses gently waving in the  warm July breezes were comforting to Janice's troubled spirit.   She opened the Igloo cooler next to her ComforSeat lawnchair, which was in close proximity to her faux-crystal glass beach table and party umbrella combination.  Janice reached into the cooler and pulled out an orange Sunny Delight (in one of those smaller plastic bottles) to drink.  Ethel Nertz, Janice's "side-kick" and housekeeper that always comes on these Fort Meyers jaunts with the wealthy Heiress Janice was munching on a Quaker Oats granola bar.  Apple. 

 I would have a real problem with ads in a book.  I want to scream when I go into a dentist or doctror's office and see a TV running with ads for dental procedures or drugs.  I have yet to read a book from any pulisher, Harlequin included, that has set off my cynical buttons.  An author or publisher would be crazy to try it and risk a lot of backlash.  Brand names, esp. in Chick lit, do say something about character sometimes.  If someone told my story, it would have to include certain brand names.  In a historical I think it would be super cool if the author included brand names of defunct products and stores.

I am sick and tired of seeing ads everywhere.  My dh and I no longer watch television because we are so sick and tired of ads screaming at us...but there are some ads that are just cool ... and much better than the actual television!  As much as I hate advertising, I love some advertising  because some advertising can be an art form. 

Vince, I read a book a long time ago about subliminal advertising and I have also heard about this product placement ads quite a while ago but I never really though about it in books because I have yet to see it. It's hard to miss it on television. I never in my life thought I would give up TV but the ads got so loud, louder than the programming, and even the mute doesn't kill the seconds of being blasted. We never meant to give up TV. It just happened. I think the other thing that got to me was how the local news is now all advertising more than news. I don't want this product placement thing in books. In my opinion, it would make a publisher lose credibility. Infrequently used to build character ok but in today's world, an author or publisher who did it would be ripped to shreds if someone say them getting paid for placement.

She narrowed her eyes, watching him closely as she flicked the tab of her soda'?

...probably think this is weird, but we never refer to colas or soft drinks as sodas here in my neck of the woods (very small heartland town).  I think Debiw781 is probably right - depends on where you come from in what terms you label things (like a dialect).  Debbie said down south where she lives they refer to all colas as Cokes.  And here where I'm from we actually just call them pops.  But 'pop' just doesn't have the right ring for a romance novel, do you think? LOL!  Well, on the other hand, it just might work.... 

while reading the JR Ward book this weekend as the characters repeatedly referred negatively to a particular car.  It made me laugh as the comments were dead on (I was stuck with this particular brand of car as a rental) and I think it added a bit of realism to the story.  Let's face it, we DO focus on brands a lot and to go out of the way to ignore them would sound odd.  Thinking on it further, the MaryJanice Davidson vampire chick lit books wouldn't be the same if Betsy wasn't fussing over her shoes and simply saying designer shoes wouldn't sound as sincere as the actual brand names... because the main character is focused on brand names.

I hope I'm explaining this well... it is early in the morning but the car issue in the JR Ward book really had me thinking about this issue.....