7 Memorable Moments in the Dubious History of Product Placement

Decades after E.T., brand mentions still feel awkward

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Remember when you had to wait until the commercial break to be bombarded with brand marketing? Probably not, since product placement has been a Hollywood addiction since the 1980s.

Ever since Steven Spielberg featured Reese's Pieces in 1982's E.T. (after being turned down by short-sighted M&M reps), brands and content creators have embraced product placement as a sort of commercial symbiosis.

This Wednesday, we'll be tackling the issue of product placement at #adweekchat, a one-hour Twitter conversation open to all.

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