I'm Not Buying It Trivia Quiz

Answer: Death Stranding

"Death Stranding" was Hideo Kojima and Kojima Productions' inaugural game independent from Konami, whom Kojima had split from in 2015. It was a polarising open world action game themed around the reconnection of disperse colonies via a wireless network. In the game, the Monster energy drinks could be used to replenish stamina which was used in tasks such as running, climbing and holding breath whilst underwater.

A "Death Stranding" opinion piece by Polygon slammed the use of the Monster drinks in the game, calling them "outrageously inappropriate, almost to the point of parody". In such a post-apocalyptic setting, Monster energy drinks struck discordant tones: they were bright, cheap and plentiful in a world of muted colours and scarcity.

Answer: Barack Obama

In the quest to bring politics into the 21st century and reach an elusive and politically inactive younger male audience, Barack Obama secured an advertising deal with Electronic Arts (EA). Games in franchises like "Madden" and "Burnout" would include banners and screens with pictures of Obama encouraging people to register and to vote early. EA did not personally endorse Obama, though their CEO John Riccitiello did personally donate $4,600 to the Democrats' political campaign. Though some gamers disliked seeing politics in their escapist video games, research on the 2008 campaign showed it was effective in increasing awareness of early voting and in favourable opinions and voter intention of Obama.

Answer: Lady Gaga

The video for "Telephone" included offerings such as Virgin Mobile, Diet Coke, Polaroid, Miracle Whip and even the Plenty of Fish dating site. Meanwhile, "Bad Romance" was glammed up with White Safari Carrera sunglasses, a Burberry trench coat, Heartbeats earphones and... a Nintendo Wii. Lady Gaga eventually drifted from this cynically consumerist focus, taking a more surrealistic and experimental approach in "Artpop" (2013) and then peeling the layers to reveal a more stripped back persona in "Joanne" (2016).

Answer: The Great Gatsby

Luhrmann was no stranger to brand integration. He received a Guinness World Record in 2004 for the highest budgeted commercial, "No. 5 the Film", a three-minute short that pioneered the lucrative world of branded content. The brands used in "The Great Gatsby", for the most part, were true to the era. Brands like Tiffany, Moet and Brooks Brothers were actually around back then, and may have featured in such flashy parties as featured in the film. Though critical reception judged the film to emphasise style over substance, it grossed $353.6m and broke through to American audiences in a way the Australian director's previous films had struggled with.

Answer: Toy Story

In "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2", Etch (an Etch-a-Sketch) was a supporting character who communicated by drawing on itself. The popular Mr. Potato Head character used in the film was originally a Mattel production, made in 1953, and sales of that toy also increased 800% after featuring in the original "Toy Story". Demand for Slinky Dog increased its sales from the hundreds to the thousands, helping grow its parent company James Industries.

The mutual success of both the movie and its toys encouraged both Disney/Pixar and toy companies to make lucrative deals in future "Toy Story" movies, and the recurring characters essentially sold themselves since the franchise had become so popular.

Answer: Ray-Ban

The Ray-Ban brand was founded in 1936 and the Ray Ban Aviator was patented in 1939, with the dark-framed Wayfarer model following in 1952. As its name suggests, it was intended to block the sun's rays and reduce glare for pilots. One of the most famous product placement stories concerned Tom Cruise's role as a pilot in "Top Gun": after the film's debut Aviator sales increased by 40%. It also contributed to the Aviator model's entrenchment as a fashion statement and a symbol of military patriotism, something that had drifted after the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War and the emergence of different countercultures like punk or disco were reasons Ray-Ban made a push for their sunglasses to be featured in over 160 films in the 1980s, so as to remain culturally relevant.

The 2027 and 2030 Predator models featured in "Men in Black" and the Wayfarers in "The Blues Brothers".

Answer: Sex and the City

The film was based on the comedy drama of the same name that ran between 1998 and 2004 and served as a nostalgic reunion for fans of the series. Although Brand Channel estimated 94 product placements in the film, designers like Vivienne Westwood and Manolo Blahlik were also mentioned on numerous occasions, as well as other brands.

The film was a commercial success, having grossed over $415m from a $65m budget. However, the egregious use of product placements may have proved counterproductive: some brands were wary to invest in the film's sequel knowing they'd be sharing floor space with so many other competitors.

Answer: The Bulgari Connection

At the time, paid product placement wasn't really a 'done' thing in books, and certainly not by established authors. British author Fay Weldon was required to mention the Bulgari jewelry brand 12 times in "The Bulgari Connection" to get her undisclosed payout, and ended up mentioning it 34 times in total.

In an interview with the New York Times, she said on the matter: "You can't do this kind of thing; my name will be mud forever. But after a while I thought, I don't care. Let it be mud. They never give me the Booker prize anyway." The product placement drama arguably overshadowed the book itself, which featured the tale of divorcee Grace McNab and her witty escapades.

Answer: Netflix

According to the Concave Brand Tracking website, "House of Cards" wasn't even the worst product placement offender. Shows like "Bosch", "Luke Cage", "Ray Donovan" and especially "Silicon Valley" outdid them on their product placement index. They also stated that top brand Apple had two and three-quarters hours worth of brand visibility across the six seasons of "House of Cards". One particularly egregious example of product placement here was a box of Pop Tarts unnaturally stood up in a fridge.

"House of Cards" itself was the first original series produced by Netflix, featuring Kevin Spacey as a ruthless scheming congressman and Robin Wright as his equally ruthless wife. Its cancellation was announced in 2017, the day after allegations were made that Kevin Spacey had sexually harassed a 14-year-old. His immediate response was to come out as gay, and a number of other allegations followed.

Answer: The Walking Dead

In order for AMC to use it in their show, Hyundai required that their green SUV wasn't stained or damaged. This stood out as peculiar in a world where keeping a car clean from dirt and various assorted zombie bits mightn't have been the top priority. The sponsorship deal eventually broke apart when the characters started doing a lot more footwork and the creative direction no longer warranted the use of the car.

In spite of the jarring product placement here, "The Walking Dead" was critically acclaimed with its tenth season first airing in October, 2019.