Product Placement Without Even Trying

Talk about getting a product placement without even trying . . . . Last week, as I was reading about the horrible death toll and the damage caused by the tornado in Joplin, Missouri, I was really struck by one young man’s account. According to The Wall Street Journal, when Wal-Mart employee Cameron Paul, finally exited the store after riding out the tornado with thirty other people, “He picked up an unopened can of Pepsi on the ground. ‘That was the best soda I ever had in my life.’ he said.”

You can’t pay for that kind of advertising. While we watched in horror as violent storms pummeled sections of the country, one can only imagine how something as simple as a can of soda -- a Pepsi to be exact -- can symbolize relief, normalcy, and the sheer luck of being alive.

I don’t think the journalist was necessarily thinking about how naming the brand would impact readers. But I have to believe that although it was a tragedy that occurred in Joplin, the fact that a survivor was happy to find a familiar something after what must have been the most terrifying moments in his life is, well, life-affirming. 

Yes, I’m sure we’re talking about good luck here, because in another circumstance it might have been a can of Fresca or a plastic bottle of BBQ sauce or any number of items. But it was a can of Pepsi, and you can almost hear the can being opened and the look of delight as Mr. Paul took his first sips. 

Of course this isn’t product placement in the traditional sense. It’s not a can of Pepsi featured in the scene of a movie. It was mentioned in a piece about one of the worst storms the South has seen. Still, a mention like this, one that happens by chance in a really big way, probably goes further than what you might see in a movie only because we’re so desensitized. 

In some cases, it is an accidental mention that helps a product gain more momentum than any amount of advertising. I suppose what makes this particular placement noteworthy is the lack of artifice, which is what makes it memorable. Often, the product placements we see in movies are so, well, obvious and almost patronizing. There’s no nuance. We can probably learn something from that when pitching stories, too. If you have to hit someone over the head to get their attention, it’s probably a good idea to try another strategy.

And you rock, Cameron Paul, for watching out for others.