Iron Man - An Audi Production

This evening I went to the pictures. The movie I watched was the one that everyone had told me was "the best comic book adaptation so far!!!". Sounded promising, but I've not really been that impressed by comic book adaptations, so was just hoping to be entertained for 2 hours (and 6 mins + all the ads + the trailers + those really, really annoying Orange spots). As well as being a comic book adaptation, Iron Man - tonight's "picture" - it was also a was also a was also a 126 min commercial for Audi.

Audi and Iron Man raised product placement to an all time high. Since leaving the cinema and driving home in my non-Audi car, I have ordered an Audi, had an Audi tattoo on my Audi and Audi'd my Audi in the Audi. Ooopps! Is product placement going to be the future of advertising? Audi certainly think so - and they think in the future if anyone needs to fight evil forces, they will be doing it in an Audi. In I, Robot, Will Smith's character drove around in an Audi concept car that looked very similar to their R8. In fact, it was Audi RSQ - a concept car made specifically for the movie - a first, apparently. Well, a world first if you believe their press release, alternatively you might cast your memory back a bit further to Minority Report - remember the Lexus that was featured in that film? Made specifically for the film? Not the only idea from Minority Report that influenced I, Robot!

Apparently Audi have been at it for a while - check out Ronin, The Insider, Mission Impossible II, The Mothman Prophecies, About a Boy and the auteuristic Legally Blond 2 (I am told the sequel is EVEN better!!!!!) I love ads and I love movies, but a movie trying to be an ad didn't really work for me. If anything, it made me think that Audi are a manipulative corporation, who think they can be hip by buying their way into a cool movie. I know times are tight and producers have to be more creative about where they get their sources of money, but they still need to think about taste - and not just the taste of a tasty American burger!

Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?!