Product Placement

[mrblonde]

Does Mr. King get product placement fees for his books?

I had noticed here and there brand names sneak into his work (He names just about every new percription drug out there in Dome) But it really struck me when I read TGWLTG. He named a girl Pepsi and the other one drinks Sugre the whole time.

Others were Texaco, Harley Davidson, Chevy, hostess, and Apple (alot)


So doe he write about the brand he likes/uses for free? Or do companies ask him to "work" their product into the next book?

[Moderator]

He is not paid a product placement fee when he includes a mention in his work. He has had the companies send him some of their products after the book/story has been published and they become aware of it but that was unsolicited. It's also his policy not to do commercials or endorsements of products for which he would be paid. When he mentions a product, it usually means that he has used it personally or is aware of it being in the public eye.

[Doc Wilson]

UR kinda puts an interesting spin on the whole "product placement" thing.

[Lefty Writer]

I seem to recall reading about this, maybe in On Writing (I could be totally wrong here.), where Sai King does this as a way for people to connect to his story. Giving a specific brand name to something "I enjoyed that Pepsi after a long run." instantly gives the reader a good image for the mind's eye.

[GNTLGNT]

So Marsha, where did he put the bucks(if any) from the classic American Express commercial? And MrBlonde(does that make you Dagwood-just askin'), SK's use of product names just makes everything that much more realistic...

[Moderator]

So Marsha, where did he put the bucks(if any) from the classic American Express commercial?

No idea as that was before my time but it's been his policy in the over 21 years I've been working here that he won't do product endorsements.

[JohnDalglish]

No idea as that was before my time but it's been his policy in the over 21 years I've been working here that he won't do product endorsements.

Hi,

Which would tend to suggest that he didn't find the American Express thingy as an entirely positive experience IMO.

Long days and pleasant nights

[GNTLGNT]

I gotcha...knew he'd done it, but was too lazy to look up the air dates...

[Moderator]

GNTLGNT, I had a feeling someone would bring it up but was being lazy about not including it in my original post and look where that led to--I ended up doing even more work. I think you're right, John, as back in the day when he would sign books or photos that fans would send in, he would never sign the Amex photos of him in the smoking jacket and ascot. They always went back unsigned. That experience may have been the reason for his refusing to do any after that.

[GNTLGNT]

Yeah Marsha, it seems I'm, a trial for females everywhere-just ask the Blonde Bombshell-(Mrs. Gntlgnt in other words)-that whole Amex thing was probably one of those deals that looked good at the time(before he kicked the bottle)