Hawaii Five-0 Forum

One of my favorite stupid stories that we've done for Screened is this look at product placement on Days Of Our Lives, in which otherwise semi-respectable actors and actresses go whole-hog in talking about wonderful everyday products that are delicious and tasty in ways that normal people never would. It looks like Hawaii Five-0 is the latest show to permanently cripple its credibility, with the above scene apparently taking place in the most recent episode of the show.

Just put yourself in the role of the dude who has to act as stage decorator on this scene. You spend half an hour ensuring that the actor is holding the sandwich properly, so as to not obscure the Subway logo, and that all of the other Subway logos are facing towards the camera for maximum legibility. You probably went to college, studied your art for a long time, finally got a dream job on a major show. And now you're ensuring that the world's worst product placement goes off without a hitch. How do you not inflict serious self-harm at night?

My favorite part? The first related video that pops up when the clip stops playing is a cat video starring a kitty named Chuck. Someone knows what's up.

(Of course, here we are talking about Hawaii Five-O and Subway sandwiches, so I guess something's working.)

That... that is not subtle...

You figure in today's time, they won't make it seen so obvious. I couldn't help but laugh how brazen they made that Subway bit. If you wanted to have a natural flow there are other way's, but this was like a commercial break in the show at the same time. I remember back in the 90's when a movie called "Bye Bye Love" came out where the stars would meet a McDonald's as part of story. Critics called that very shameful, but now I think it was a sign of future.

and yes that is a thin Jack Black as the DJ.

Didn't you guys also post that article and video of the fucking unbelievable product placement in daytime soaps a while back?

@DougQuaid said:

Didn't you guys also post that article and video of the fucking unbelievable product placement in daytime soaps a while back?

We did, it's linked in the article!

Wait, was this aired? Like on TV? Like in the middle of a show?

Fuck.....

I'm with you Rorie, I feel for that poor sod that had to make this.

There was also an ad for the Nissan Leaf in last week's Fringe similar to previous placements for Ford. The characters are driving to their destination in a meaningless scene that shows off the car's features and badge. At least they do it because they're desperate for money.

Hell I'll watch "The Coca-Cola Presents Sci-fi Action Hour of Fringe sponsored by Acura" if it keeps that show on the air.

Ok ... now it is getting ridiculous , by god that was bad D:

I love it. I love it so much. Still not as good as Chuck, though. That's a comedy.

Chuck has TONS of Subway product placement, but they do it (usually) in a way that's kinda tongue-in-cheek, which makes it (usually) acceptable.

Goddamnit. Also this is interesting because it tries to present Subway as a healthy option, which the company has tried to do for ages (even naming itself Doctor's Associates) despite the fact that, simply, most Subway sandwiches are high in calories, especially when you start putting all kinds of sauce and dressing in them...

@OldGuy: Wow man those are real bad. I couldn't get through all of the Carnation bit it was so bad. Didn't TV shows as well as movies often do product placements for cigarettes and other tobacco products?

In the first Spider-Man movie, rampant product placement with Dr. Pepper; remember that scene with Parker shooting his web at the soda can? Sad part is, they are doing their job because I remember it.

Product placement is nothing new, sometimes subtle, sometimes hitting you over the head. I think the dude in the Hawaii Five-O bit ATE the entire Subway shop. Also, "nice" acting on his part. Good God.

As if I needed another reason to not bother watching it.

Was watching this after Alcatraz was over. It was just really weird. I mean, I've seen product placement stuff in other shows not too long ago, but this was a bit much. Although all the USA shows doing car stuff (Psych and White Collar) was also pretty bad.

Thats disgusting product placement.

If you think this is bad, how about blatant product placement in a cartoon? No, I'm not talking about G.I. Joe or the Transformers either. Back in the mid-to-late 80's there was a popular anime series called City Hunter which was about a trouble-shooter and his partner solving crimes and doing bodyguard work. For some reason, the show contains lots of images of M&Ms and the M&Ms logo. It's not in every episode, but it happens enough that it gets to be rather funny. There are around 120 episodes and I'd say 20% of them contain some sort of M&M icon. I had a "Where's Waldo" experience while watching it.

City Hunter (1987) - why do I have a craving for candy-coated chocolates now?

I really have to wonder what it must have been like to be an animation director and having to figure new ways to casually shove a bag of M&Ms into a scene. I can imagine conferences to figure out if the creative teams are meeting their M&M placement quotas. Perhaps storyboards would be posted with M&M inserts to see where the product fit best in the episode.

This past week I saw a Korean action comedy called Spy Girl (2004). It's about a North Korean spy who finds herself working at a Burger King in South Korea while on a mission. The movie spends a considerable amount of time at the Burger King with lots of shots of people ordering and eating the food. But, the plot has nothing to do specifically with Burger King at all. It could have been any real or fictitious diner. I mean, at least Harold & Kumar was about going to White Castle. In this movie, it just happens to be the place she found herself working because she was ducking the cops. Doesn't the image on the left look like an advertisement for BK?

Spy Girl (2004) - Korean action-romance or 90 minute Burger King ad?

What about in the first season when they all destroyed their iPhones in the first 5 minutes of an episode and were completely blase because they all just got their brand new Windows 7 phones which they conspicuously used for the rest of the season?

I watched that... LIVE! And it was my first time ever watching Hawaii 5-0!

Guess what! That's my last time watching Hawaii 5-0! Just like how my love affair with Chuck ended!

@SerHulse said:

Wait, was this aired? Like on TV? Like in the middle of a show?

Fuck.....

I'm with you Rorie, I feel for that poor sod that had to make this.

Exactly what I was thinking! Putting all the Subway logos in there is more than enough. I do not need a 50 second commercial in the middle of the show, for crying out loud! That's what actual commercials are for.