2012
LUXURY WATCH GUIDE
56
SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE
U
NOVEMBER 2012
When product placement works, the im-
pact is very strong because the audience is
caught up in the plot and the placement
seems natural, making the association
with the character, and the actor, tighter.
Doug Harlocker has been the propmaster
on such projects as
Ocean's 12
,
the second
and third
Spider-Man
movies, all three
Men
In Black
films and many others. “Product
placement is an integral part of the movie
making process,” he says. On
Ocean’s 12
,
Harlocker carried around at least $250,000
worth of watches with him every day to
satisfy all of the actors’ characters. Brad
Pi , for instance, wore a Breitling Emer-
gency, a Chronoswiss, a white gold Rolex,
a Patek Philippe and a Hermès at different
times throughout the movie. George Cloo-
neywore a classic Hamilton in every scene.
“
I could not have provided those watches
without the help of the manufacturers,”
Harlocker admits. “BradPi , a er being ex-
posed to that Breitling, purchased a half
dozen of them for his co-stars on
Ocean's
12
.
In a perfect world, the actor will appre-
ciate the product and wear it in the movie
and in real life.”
One of the most successful and on-
going watch placements is Hamilton’s
Ventura in the
Men in Black
trilogy. Ham-
ilton’s iconic watch was first worn on
camera by Elvis Presley in the film
Blue
Hawaii
back in 1961, and the same watch
adorns the wrist of Will Smith in the Men
in Black movies. More than 50 years af-
ter its introduction, the Ventura is one of
Hamilton’s sales leaders still today.
Next time you’re watching a movie or
a TV show, pay a ention to the wrist-
watches that the characters wear. If you
can barely see the watch, chances are it’s
not a product placement. But if you can
see the brand clearly, and the watch itself
has its own tight shot, then it’s more than
likely a product placement.
As watches continue to increase in
popularity and visibility, you can ex-
pect to see more placements in the
movies and TV. And, if the show is any
good, you won’t be looking at your
watch during it.
Q
CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT:
Ball Watch is featured in The
Taking of Pelham 123; Omega is on James Bond's wrist; Owen
Wilson wears Piaget in Midnight in Paris
