10 Movies That Are Nothing More Than Feature Length Commercials
8. GMC Saves The Planet Transformers (2007)
The Transformers franchise has always been nothing more than a means for selling toys. Hasbro and the Japanese toy company Takara Tomy launched the animated series in 1984 to help increase brand awareness. Children everywhere lapped up the idea of robots who can transforms themselves into various kinds of automobiles and an enduring franchise was born. In 2007, executive producer Steven Spielberg decided to bring the Transformers to the big screen in a live action film adaptation. Spielberg tapped Michael Bay for directing duties. As a former commercial director, Bay was the perfect choice to adapt what was essentially a massive car commercial. In fact, Bays previous directorial effort, The Island, drew critical ire because of its excessive product placement. Bay kept the spirit of Transformers wanton commercialism alive. The profiteering filmmaker personally directed Transformers tie-in commercials for General Motors, Burger King and Pepsi. General Motors had a previously established relationship with Bay, having provided all the vehicles in Bay's 2003 feature Bad Boys II; Bay decided to keep the mutually beneficial relationship going and cast all of his transformers as GM vehicles. The Transformers went on to save the world, prominently displaying their GM logos and forever associating the brand with heroic humanity-saving robots.
