DC Conspiracy[dots pattern]

4.18.2006

Product Placement in Comics

Today's Wall Street Journal (access at the Web site only if you have a subscription) has an article on some upcoming product placement in DC and Marvel titles:

"In July, Time Warner Inc.'s DC comics...is launching Rush City, a six-part miniseries that boasts visible promotional support from General Motors Corp.'s Pontiac. As part of the series, a new hero know as "The Rush" will be prominently featured driving a Pontiac Solstice in the comic book."

"Over the past few months, Marvel Entertainment Inc. has been putting the 'swoosh' logo from Nike Inc. in the scenes of some of its titles, such as New X-Men....Marvel, home of Spider-Man, Captain America and Sub-Mariner, may feature Dodge's new car, the Caliber, in the books' cityscapes, including on billboards, T-shirts or signs over the next four to eight months..."

Advertisers are making this move in a bid to reach "one of Madison Avenue's most elusive audiences: guys in their 20s." This demographic is becoming more and more difficult to reach, and more and more wary of traditional media. It looks as if the comic companies are trying to capitalize by making a push to sell more advertising to mainstream companies. The article quotes an analyst who puts the value of the comic book market at "about $400 million to $450 million, with Marvel controlling about 37%, and DC capturing around 33%."

Along they way, it does cite precedents of incorporating products into comics, with DC's Captain Action and Hot Wheels comics (to which I add Marvel's Transformers and G.I. Joe). It ends all evenhanded, with opinions from retailers and such who think that either this is the end of comics or the marketing idea that will save them.

Also today, The Comics Reporter points to this article about Marvel's continuing growth in licensing.

Bram at 9:18 PM  |  link to this   

4 Comments

I wonder what was the first comic based on a product. Micronauts comes to mind (Awesome art by the underrated Michael Golden). But the original G.I. Joe--the 12-inch actiion figure who sported a cool felt beard--had a comic, too, I think. Anyone come up with anything earlier than that? (Not counting TV shows; just strictly products.)

Blogger Dembicki at 4/19/2006 7:58 AM   

Well - there's this gray area in the 80s when products had all out media blitzes. So, for instance, I had the Madballs and Popples comic books when I was a kid. The were products, originally, but around the time the comic came out they both had failed cartoons if I remember correctly.

Blogger Jason at 4/19/2006 8:23 AM   

Even earlier. Micronauts was in the late '70s, and I think G.I. Joe was in '70s, maybe even '60s. I was wondering if there was anything earlier.

Blogger Dembicki at 4/19/2006 8:52 AM   

I don't remember the name but there was a cigarette
company that had a comic about a cartoon penguin in
the 50's. I don't think there was smoking in the comic
but it was the adventures of the mascott.

Blogger ETK at 4/19/2006 9:41 AM   

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