From Manolo Blahnik high heels to
designer dresses, the materialism of the characters in
television's "Sex and the City" has made the movie version a
marketing dream that some companies are paying for dearly and
at least one is getting for free.
The film about the glamorous lives of writer Carrie,
publicist Samantha, lawyer Miranda and curator Charlotte, whose
friendships, loves and fashion sense in Manhattan captivated
millions of viewers during six seasons on HBO, opens in
theaters worldwide this month.
Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo became household names thanks
to Carrie's love of designer shoes. Now some corporations are
hoping her influence will reach beyond fashion and that fans
will covet products ranging from luxury cars to designer
handbags.
New Line Cinema has reportedly dubbed it "the Super Bowl
for women" in reference to the U.S. football championship that
sees companies pay millions of dollars for television ads.
The movie has "promotional partnerships" with at least
eight companies whose products appear in the film.
Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays Carrie and produced the
movie, said it could not have been made without these deals.
"It's a huge part of making a movie now, it's a huge part
of financing and marketing in foreign territories and it would
have been impossible, unfortunately, for us to make this movie
without some partnerships," Parker told reporters.
"The challenge is ... when is product distracting and when
does it fit into a story? Fortuitously, these women are
material people," she said.
TOUTING LINKS TO FILM
Parker said the partnerships often do not involve companies
paying to have their products in the film. Instead, businesses
spend heavily to promote their ties to the movie.
While Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte travel in New York's
signature yellow cabs, Carrie's love interest, "Mr. Big,"
cruises around in a black Mercedes-Benz.
Meanwhile, Samantha is living on the U.S. West Coast and
drives a white Mercedes-Benz SUV that is unavailable in the
United States until January.
Steve Cannon of Mercedes-Benz said the company does not pay
for product placement but has its own media campaign promoting
its involvement in the film and the product used.
"Given the built-in fan base, it's pretty certain
regardless of what the initial reviews say that it's going to
be a solid success," Cannon said. "We decided that this was one
of these projects we would spend extra money activating."
The designer handbag-renting Web site, Bag Borrow or Steal,
was approached by New Line to be a partner after it was written
into the story by writer/director Michael Patrick King.
"It was really a Cinderella story for us," said Jodi Watson
of the bag rental firm. "It's instant credibility for our
concept and our brand."
She said the company did not pay to be included in the
movie. But it has spent more money to tout its connection to
the movie than it has on any other promotional campaign.
'FEMALE FANTASY'
Does product placement really work?
"There's quite a bit of research that suggests it works in
different ways and for different reasons," said S. Shyam
Sundar, director of the Media Effects Research Lab at Penn
State University.
Elayne Rapping, professor of American Studies at The State
University of New York in Buffalo, New York, said "Sex and the
City" tapped into some women's dreams.
"The selling of lifestyles and clothes was a major factor
in the success of that show," she said. "It's very much a
female fantasy of what working women wish they had, but we all
know we don't have."
Some unlikely companies found themselves unexpectedly
caught up in "Sex and the City."
In one scene, Carrie and Miranda eat lunch in a park with
paper bags from British sandwich chain Pret A Manger placed on
their laps in what appears to be an obvious case of product
placement. But that was not the case.
Sacha Turner, the company's New York business development
manager, said Parker regularly buys lunch from Pret and had
requested the sandwiches for the scene simply because she likes
them.
"We donated it," Turner said. "It's fantastic advertising
for us, but we were just really (pleased) that she had
requested us."
Reuters/Nielsen
In Theaters 
