A fictional brand is a nonexistent brand depicted in books, comics, films, music, television shows and video games respectively. The fictional brand may be designed to imitate, satirize or differentiate itself from a real corporate brand.[1]
Permission is typically sought before using trademarked brands in media to avoid legal proceedings. Fictional brands can overcome situations where the creators do not want to pay for permission, where a trademark owner is unwilling to approve the use of their brand, or where the product is shown in a negative light. For example, the 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street used the fictional department store C.F. Cole's in the film, after Macy's declined to have one of their department stores filmed in the remake.[2] Historically, many movie studios also avoided existing brands to make the films more escapist and to avoid taking attention away from star performers. Paid product placement has gradually become more frequent as it became a lucrative part of the film industry.[3][4]
More recently, fictional brands have been used for commercial purposes through the process of reverse product placement. Consumer attachment to those brands in the fictional world may be leveraged through "defictionalisation" or "productisation" in the real world. It has been suggested that the fictional brands represent brand potential rather than brand reality; they are in effect, “protobrands” that can be leveraged and transformed into registered trademarks which can derive revenue for their owners through reverse product placement or, more accurately, reverse brand placement.[5] Examples include Harry Potter's Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, now available as real candy manufactured by the Jelly Belly Company; Duff Beer, a beer brand now available for consumption in Europe which initially appeared in The Simpsons; and Staples' Dunder Mifflin paper, from the TV show The Office.
Purposes
Using a trademarked product in fictional media can result in allegations of trademark dilution.[6] Trademark dilution can occur when a brand is portrayed in a way that tarnishes or confuses the image of the brand, even when there is no competing product.[7] For example, Pussycat Cinema was blocked from showing the pornographic film Debbie Does Dallas, as the lead actress Bambi Woods performed sexual acts in an outfit similar to those worn by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.[6][8] Judge Ellsworth Van Graafeiland commented, "it is hard to believe that anyone who had seen defendants’ sexually depraved film could ever thereafter disassociate it from plaintiff’s cheerleaders."[9]
Many movies and television shows opt to use prominent but nonexistent
Well-known fictional brands
Acme
The Acme Corporation is a fictional manufacturer of a vast range of products. The Acme products first appeared in silent films, but are most associated with cartoons, especially those of Warner Bros.[17] There are many backronyms to explain the word, but Acme is Greek for "zenith" or "peak". During the Second Industrial Revolution, "Acme" was used as a brand name for many mass-produced consumer goods, in part for the benefit of appearing at the front of alphabetical listings like a telephone directory or mail order catalog. Acme products are known to fail in outlandish ways that result in cartoon violence.[18]
Duff
Duff Beer began as a fictional brand in
Fictional brands lists
- List of fictional beverages
- List of fictional vehicles
See also
Product placement
- Brand management
- Fictional company
- Saturday Night Live commercial – frequently featuring fictional brands, many listed with this entry
External links
References
- Robin Andersen, Jonathan Gray. Battleground: The Media 2008^
- Jean-Marc Lehu. Branded Entertainment: Product Placement & Brand Strategy in the Entertainment Business 2007^
- Stuart Elliot. Fake Products and the Movies That Loved Them New York Times, 9 January 2006^