9. E.T. - Reese's Pieces
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKYeBE8lTr4 Even classic films like E.T. unfortunately can't be forgiven for product placement, and given how the film essentially helped kick-start the trend - after the Hershey Company saw a profit boom of 65% following the film's release - it is certainly one of the most egregious examples. Young Elliott uses Reese's Pieces to help lure E.T. into his room, and the product also featured prominently in Atari's much-maligned E.T. video game, as an object that E.T. would have to collect. Originally, the filmmakers approached Mars, hoping that M&Ms would be used, but after seeing the creature, Mars balked, believing the creature to be "too ugly" to serve as positive marketing for their product. Of course, the Hershey Company completely lucked out because of this, and fans of the film have had to cringe for a few seconds during each viewing as a result.
Shaun Munro
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Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.
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