Last week, another murder was solved by the brilliant minds of Charles, Oliver, and Mabel in season 4 of?Only Murders In The Building. Joined by their doppelg?ngers Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, and Eva Longoria, the crime-solving trio had their most star-studded season yet with a story centering on the craft of filmmaking. With so much star power on screen, viewers likely glanced over the supporting cast apparent throughout the entire season – brands. That was on purpose.
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Only Murders In The Building?has done an excellent job interweaving brands into the fabric of its storytelling, visually or verbally. To me, three attributes make a stellar placement. Spoilers Incoming!
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A plot device
In episode one, Mabel struggles with the decision to sign her rights away to the studio and the filmmakers, and after much pestering from Oliver, she agrees. How does she do it? Surprising Oliver with a bottle of Perrier Jou?t Belle époque champagne to celebrate.
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Grounding the character in reality
Eva Longoria was amazing in?Desperate Housewives?and in Only Murders; she wants you to know that, plus the fact that she is a mogul and popular celebrity. In episode seven, Eva and the gang are on the run from the killer, and as they are hiding out, she enjoys a bag of Ruffles. What is that popular adage? “Celebrities … they’re just like us.”
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Creating a reaction
If you ever thought you had a strange name, the character Bev Melon, played by the hilarious Molly Shanon, gives you a run for your money. Beyond her name, Bev’s eccentricities extend to her smoothies, such as the one in episode nine. Filled with beef jerky and a whole can of Red Bull, the grinding of the smoothie elicits a reaction from Mabel and the audience.
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These are three examples of visual placements in which the show does so well. It doesn’t even grasp the excellent writing that can complement a visual placement, such as in episode four when Mabel comments to Oliver about his fake Instagram account saying, “I have never seen Instagram that big.” This placement drives the story forward given the account creates drama later in the season, grounds the characters in today’s world, and creates a comedic reaction with its play on the older and younger dynamic the show thrives on. Success.
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With the cliffhanger given at the end of this season, we can only anticipate the hijinks the podcast trio will undertake in season 5 and what brands will support them along the way.
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What are your thoughts on this season, and what brands stuck out to you? Feel free to reach out to me regarding any insights or inquiries about product placement. #ProductPlacement #BrandIntegration #Television
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