In the world of product placement and branded entertainment, most marketers negotiate long and hard and then pay hefty prices to have their brands woven into the story lines of scripted programming or
appear in a scene of a movie or TV show. But not all of them. Some companies get it for free just because they make really cool stuff that resonates with Hollywood hotshots. Take Apple, for
example. During the past four months, the company's iPods, Macs and other products have been featured 250 times on 38 different network prime-time shows, including such hits as "CSI: NY" and "The
O.C." That adds up to 26 minutes of free exposure, according to Nielsen's Place Views tracking service. "IPod has never paid for placement because Apple is cool," said Ruben Igielko-Herrlich, founding
partner and CEO of Propaganda Global Entertainment Marketing. "If you're a cool brand or an affluent, prestigious brand, it's not going to cost you what it's going to cost fast-moving consumer
products like soft drinks or detergents. When you have that kind of image and aura, you don't pay for it." Apple is not alone. Big-ticket luxury items, such as Aston Martin and Lamborghini, have
enjoyed similar treatment by the Hollywood set. "As big as branded entertainment is, I will still venture to say that 90 percent of the brands you see in shows are there for free," said Jeff
Greenfield, executive vice president entertainment marketing firm 1st Approach. "A lot of brands get in for free not because they're cool but because they happen to be there.
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