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1. MISSION TO MARS
Dr Pepper – crowbarred into Mars with all the subtle delicacy of a Whopper Meal, we’re not sure if NASA would similarly recommend taking freeze-dried fizzy drinks on board their next shuttle flight. [Clock count: 0.45:24]
2. TOMORROW NEVER DIES
Omega watches – James Bond clearly isn’t getting enough cold, hard cash from the luxury car companies whose wares he gleefully flaunts; hit ‘pause’ to see an image of Pierce Brosnan holding up his latest gadget, and you’ll swear you’re looking at a glossy mag ad. [Clock count: 1.26:03]
3. AUSTIN POWERS 2: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME
Virgin – this is the way to do it. Nab a vaguely related subject, shove it into your script and then try to make a joke out of it. Virgin posters! Outside Austin Powers’ house? Oh, the hilarity! [Clock count: 0.10:57]
4. BLADE RUNNER
Coca-Cola – Coke is ‘it’, even in the year 2019 (which isn’t so far away now). We may not have spaceships, robo-owls and psycho replicants running around in 13 years’ time, but it’s a safe bet the sugary stuff will still be giving us gas. [Clock count: 0.16:18]
5. THE MATRIX
Nokia 8110 – Neo may be able to fly, run up walls, transcend reality and download any skill into his noggin but can he take a picture with his phone or set Crazy Frog as his ringtone? No again. We think we know who’s winning. [Clock count: 0.15:53]
6. HAPPY GILMORE
Subway – as close to an all-out advert as product placements get, this is only so low down in our list because hardly anyone saw it. Chowing down was bad enough – but did Sandler really have to stick on the T-shirt too? [Clock count: 0.57:25]
7. DEMOLITION MAN
Taco Bell – bit of a weird one this. The joke seems to be: ‘Oh, ha, ha, ha, in the future, Taco Bell will be an exclusive, classy establishment that everyone wants to visit.’ So what you’re telling us is, right now, it’s rubbish, right? [Clock counter: 0.58:20]
8. DR NO
Smirnoff – little-known fact: originally, James Bond’s most famous line was: “Vodka Martini, shaken not stirred. Oh, and make sure it’s Smirnoff, Smirnoff’s the best. I drink it all the time, you know, in between shooting baddies with my watch and kissing pretty ladies. For relaxing times, make it Smirnoff time.” In the end, they decided a picture was worth a thousand words, and went with this product placement shot instead. [Clock counter: 0.40:44]
9. YOU’VE GOT MAIL
Apple – forget PCs, if you want to meet Meg Ryan, or even Tom Hanks, you need to get yourself an Apple Mac. Quark, iTunes and an inoffensive-on-the-eye life partner? Show us where to sign up! [Clock counter: 0.04:02, for the first appearance...]
10. BACK TO THE FUTURE
Nike – by the time Back To The Future III rolled around, the references had started to get a little tired, but this one – so important, they placed it in the foreshadowing opening sequence – is the sweetest of them all. [Clock count: 0:02:53]
