Maybe they were filming in Paris.

;)

Which will probably have product placement for Baskin Robbins like the other 2 did.

Ho ho. They sure did. FedEx had to supply the production with a crew that insured that FedEx was portrayed accurately. They supplied the logos, uniforms, boxes... That's a form of payment.

And if it was soooo important for things to be realistic, the beginning of the movie was set in 1995. FedEx was known as FDX Corp in 1995. The name FedEx didn't come to be until 2000.

What GD said about your 'Da Vinci' comparison. You can't compare the two.

CP ~ I'm thinking we agree.
:)

DC also has more violent crime - those damned lattes and frappucinos are laced with PCP!

.

I know this sounds totally geeky of me, but, Space Mountain in Disneyland was sponsored by "Fed Ex" as of 1995. I think the name Fed Ex has been around longer than 6 years.

Where's Ubergeek42 ?

Um, as for supplying logos, they didn't. Fed Ex only gave permission to use the logo. None were supplied by them for the film. They did allow usage of a real Fed Ex airplane but that's it. Loaning someone a vehicle is hardly payment. By that same principle, €uroMeinke is paying me to post on LoT.

They shot the last scenes on FedEx property for free. There was huge support from FedEx during the film. Charging them nothing for filming on their site is in essence paying to have them use the logo.

They may not have given them the logos but someone was on set at all time insuring that the logo look right and was portrayed in a correct manner.

I say it again, they did not need to have FedEx all over this film. Nor the brand Wilson.

Putting it in a real company immediately creates a connection with the character and exactly what world he lives in (and that it is ours). If he worked at a fake name company is it of the monumental logistical proportions as FedEx? Is it something smaller and more fly-by-night? Is it whatever? Using FedEx creates an immediate shorthand and has a historic well-known slogan that emphasizes the importance of time and efficiency (which is the basis on which the character structures his life).

I think a lot is added by using the real FedEx that wouldn't even have been added by DHL or UPS or "Hanks Cash and Carry."

According to Wikipedia, while the term FedEx was a common usage (like KFC) it wasn't officially used by the company until, so apparently it was valid for the timeframe of the movie.

Do you find it equally obnoxious that many times when you see a movie that could be filmed in any city without affecting the story that the actual city selected is based on a bidding process by which city film offices offer discounts, tax refunds, and other services to attract the film?

I personally don't mind product placement as long as it isn't fetishistic. I don't care if the computer on a desk is an Apple or a Dell or a Sony. I care if for no apparent reason the camera lingers on the logo.

Out of curiosity, do you read Stephen King? He was famous for using real brand names in his novels to add realism to the books and keep them firmly planted in our real world. Quentin Tarantino is famous for his "hip" dialogue that was well known for referencing actual brands and other commercial products thus firmly grounding the story in the real world.

As I said, so long as it isn't fetishistic I don't really care if money changed hands. Just like I don't care that the only reason Harrison Ford agrees to present himself in a movie is if money changes hands.

I'd mojo you if I could :)

It seems the part we seem to disagree on is regarding CastAway - which I have not seen and can't comment on.

I do agree with Alex for the most part.

Oh I wish Alex would tolerate my mojo for that concise presentation of the freaking point.


GC, I hope you are getting a good night's sleep as I type this. Your crankiness about FedEx appearing on film and wanting their logo to appear correctly is just about the worst whining I've seen in a while.


(And I've seen some pretty damn fine whining in the mirror, quite often ... so I recognize it, pal.)

It isn't whining. It's fact.

I'd also like to hear you address the huge problems the movie had with its storytelling. We can stray from product placement for a moment.

What is the moral of the story? Love doesn't last? Love doesn't wait for you? There are worse things than being stuck on an island, you could find out that the love of your life forgot you and got married to someone else?
What great messages!

I find it interesting that my comments are directed at the film. Yours turned into name calling somewhere along the line after I disagreed with you. That's nice...