I haven’t read Ant-Man #10 yet … which is probably why I haven’t had the overwhelming urge to board the S.S. Old Spice. Albo at Geekanerd has a collection of panels from the comic featuring America’s favorite brand of male grooming products, which received significant product placement within the story — on billboards, in bathroom scenes and, apparently, inside the Hulk:
Seriously, there is an Old Spice billboard behind everyone, Old Spice in apartments, Old Spice flying through the air, and TWO UNIQUE Old Spice products in the stomach of the Incredible Hulk. Like somewhere along his long space journey to New York he stopped off to snack on an Old Spice factory?! I just don’t get it. I really love this book, and I hate to have the experience soured like this. I understand that comics are a business like any other and money must be made, but this is not the way to do it. Shame on editor Aubrey Sitterson.
Update: Ant-Man artist Phil Hester dropped by in the comments section to talk about the Old Spice product placement: “The product placement was required, but we took it upon ourselves to do it on every page as a laugh. And it is on every page.”
July 6th, 2007 at 11:53 am
This really didn’t bother me, and here’s why: Phil Hester drew the Old Spice bottles! They weren’t just pasted in. He was told what they wanted, and did it.
I have no problem with product placement, hell I even prefer it (makes the situations seem more real), but hate it when it is done without taking the artist into consideration.
-Steve!
July 6th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Thanks for the link, JK!
@Steve: I suppose I understand the “realism” argument behind product placement, but in a case as extreme as this (an Old Spice billboard on every page, etc.) it’s extremely UNREAL and distractingly so.
July 6th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
That’s funny, my first thought was that Hester and co. were deliberatly making fun of product placement, like that Arrested Development episode with Burger King. i read it as a response to “even though we’re cancelling your book, would you mind dropping in some Old Spice images to help out our bottom line?”
July 6th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
2scoops got it. The product placement was required, but we took it upon ourselves to do it on every page as a laugh. And it is on every page.
July 6th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
Was it also required last month with the Nintendo Wii?It was a bit more subtle,but still there.
July 6th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
I’m not sure how these panels could be interpreted as anything but a spoof.
July 6th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
What the - ??? I wonder why ANYONE puts up with product placement in comics - what POSSIBLE basis could you make for it? Does it make the comics cheaper? no. Does it keep low-selling titles from being canceled? No. Is it tremendously distracting? Yes. Is it still irritating when done as a send-up, a la the Applebee’s Ricky Bobby bit? Um, yes.
July 6th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
Phil Hester? Is that you? Awesome. So, was there actually a reflection of the Old Spice clipper in Ant-Man’s goggle as he slid down into Hulk’s stomach? Or did I just see so many Old Spice ads that I started hallucinating and imagining the Clipper where it wasn’t?
July 6th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
PS - Holler back if you loved Rush City” - especially if it inspired you to buy the car they were advertising. (hmm I can’t even remember what it was, despite spending time looking at these issues because I found the idea so irksome)
July 6th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
I don’t mind advertising in comics as long as it isn’t intrusive. Stay out of the content, for crying out loud. The old spice people had a good thing going with the Bruce Campbell ads- why do something they know irritates people?
It is pretty funny, though, to do it so sarcastically. I’ll probably remember and smile as I reach past it for my Speedstick brand deodorant at the store from now on.
July 6th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Yes, Caleb. It wasn’t an illusion!
Wii was not a placement. We just like Wii.
July 6th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
@Phil Hester: As an artist do you feel frustrated or put upon when you’re required to shoehorn advertisement into your work? Is the economic climate really bad enough at Marvel right now that they can’t maintain operations via traditional advertising? And most importantly, how much money would it cost for my company to buy the next issue of Ant-Man?
July 6th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
@Albo- Yes, but we tried to be funny and semi-subversive about it, so it wasn’t so bad. Then I think about the many artists who spend their entire careers working in advertising and thank my lucky stars.
July 6th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Thanks for the words, Mr. Hester. Keep up the great work, we’re very sad to see Ant-Man go!
July 6th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
In any event, thanks for piping in Mr. Hester, very interesting to hear from you.
July 6th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
I think this issue was a hilarious look at product placement. I’m glad that Hester and co didn’t take this seriously–I lost my shit when I saw that shower gel in Hulk’s stomach.
I love Ant-Man–I had to say it.
July 6th, 2007 at 11:31 pm
The only place I even noticed it was in the Hulk’s stomach. I was really confused as to why those would be in there. Otherwise I didn’t notice it at all.
“What the - ??? I wonder why ANYONE puts up with product placement in comics - what POSSIBLE basis could you make for it? Does it make the comics cheaper? no.”
Maybe not cheaper for you but it makes them cheaper to produce. If there is some product placement every now and then the prices may stay the same longer (prices NEVER go down) or some books may get more issues.
July 8th, 2007 at 3:06 am
Make the comics cheaper and we’ll accept the ads. Otherwise………….
July 8th, 2007 at 7:42 am
“Make the comics cheaper and we’ll accept the ads. Otherwise………….”
Ads are often what keep prices from going up even further, which is the same thing as making the comic cheaper.
And even if there was a price drop, people would still complain. The price drop wouldn’t be something huge, it’s not like they could make enough off of this to drop the price a whole buck. So once people had seen a few issues at that price, they would start thinking that was the normal price and start asking for the comic at that price without the ads.
July 8th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
“Make the comics cheaper and we’ll accept the ads. Otherwise………….”
Otherwise what? You’ll go online to a message board and grouse about it?
If you’re really upset about these types of things, you need to speak with your wallet — ie. stop buying comics from the publishers who do this. But are you really going to stop buying Marvel comics because of the occasional use of product placement? I don’t think so, somehow.
July 8th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
“Ads are often what keep prices from going up even further, which is the same thing as making the comic cheaper.”
No, they’re not. The number of ad pages has been mostly the same for decades now, and the price of comics is always going up. Even the quality of advertsisers has gotten better, yet the price of comics keeps going up.
I even think the price of the standard 32-page comic book will go up next year, sometime in the fall.
July 8th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Michael,
You know, you’re right. Thanks for the suggestion.
“If you’re really upset about these types of things, you need to speak with your wallet — ie. stop buying comics from the publishers who do this. But are you really going to stop buying Marvel comics…”
Decision made. Except for the final 3 issues of Astonishing X-Men, I am no longer buying Marvel comics.
July 8th, 2007 at 8:21 pm
“No, they’re not”
Yes, they are.
Just because the price has gone up doesn’t mean the price couldn’t go up even further. Money going into Marvel from one source is money they don’t have to suck out from another source.
July 9th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
“Decision made. Except for the final 3 issues of Astonishing X-Men, I am no longer buying Marvel comics.”
So, you’re still buying Marvel comics. Thanks for playing Hypocrisy.
July 12th, 2007 at 7:23 pm
Wrong, Delcoro. Not hypocrisy, just finishing one last story. Considering that I used to buy EVERY Marvel comic that came out, this will be quite the change. 3 more Marvel issues and I am done. I even put X-Factor back on the shelf, yesterday, from my subscription list. X-Factor is the best X-title published today and one of the best books on the shelves today, but I am done.
—–
CodeGuy, Marvel are a money sucking Black Hole from which there is little likelyhood of escape. Proof? Check out the recent story of Marvel charging $3.75 Canadian for comics bought in comics shops and $5.75 if the same comic is bought at a newstand/regular store. $3.75 is already too much in Candian money when the price in US funds is $3. The current exchange rate is 6 cents per dollar. It has been hovering in the neighbourhood of 10 cents per dollar for the last year.