Do you feel impervious to advertising?
Skipping all YouTube ads as soon as possible? Did you laugh at how obvious it was that Black Widow was sponsored by BMW? Overlooking the fact that I you spent $30 to watch a movie at home. And this was likely the result of a slick trailer or the full screen thumbnail taunting me you in Disney+.
Attempts at influence come in all forms. From the obvious (like YouTube ads) to the more subtle (Scarlett Johannson drifting a BMW X3 through Budapest). But as entertained as I was by the latest installment in the MCU, I did not immediately drive to my local BMW lot to trade my FR-S in for a $43k dollar (starting) SUV.
So, did BMW’s product placement fail? Well, it depends. If BMW’s goal was for every single viewer of Black Widow to go out and buy an X3 then yes, this ploy was a massive failure. But expecting the tens-of-millions of viewers to purchase the same car is a wildly unrealistic goal. But I don’t think BMW expected this outcome. It is much more likely that BMW was seeking to increase brand awareness.
Assuming every Marvel fan would now be driving an X3 would be believing the hypodermic needle theory in full. That BMW’s messaging will enter viewers’ minds and directly influence their behavior. This is a great example of how the hypodermic needle theory is one-dimensional. It gives no personal agency to “the audience”. This older theory doesn’t account for critical thinking or personal biases that comes from concepts like brand loyalty, brand awareness, or fandom. More glaring, this theory doesn’t consider the fact that many of us actively consume advertisements.
As a self-described car nerd, I have brands and vehicle-types I like more than others. Personally, I view SUVs as giving up on the joy driving can provide. And I view BMW as a brand best enjoyed under warranty. Give me a small coupe or hatchback (and preferably from Japan or America). I value a low center of gravity and responsive handling above cargo and passenger capacity. The hypodermic needle theory doesn’t account for this bias. Nor does it consider that I may go and actively seek out influence.
Articles and videos covering new cars from Japanese and domestic manufacturers are constant staples of my browser history. I grew up in the early aughts. During the height of the tuner car culture glorified in the original Fast and the Furious and 2000’s Need for Speed games. This helped form my fandom before I could actually afford a car. But once I could buy my own car I had already filled my head with articles and influencers telling me which cars were the best. Universal praise for the Scion FR-S (and its Subaru twin, the BRZ) from Engineering Explained and the Straight Pipes moved me toward actually purchasing a 2015 FR-S.
I may feel impervious to more traditional advertising; but I am most certainly influenced by the media I go out of my way to consume. Now if you’ll excuse me, Nissan just announced the new Z and I have reviews to watch.