This paper explores fantasy brands and product placement in order to determine which method serves to be more effective to a targeted audience. A fantasy brand exists only in a virtual or fictional world. Reverse product placement is the process of transforming brands in a virtual world into products or services in the physical world. Common fictional brands include Willy Wonka Chocolate (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Duff Beer (The Simpsons), Dunder Mifflin Paper (The Office), Bubba Gump Shrimp Company (Forrest Gump), Central Perk (Friends), and Stay Puft Marshmallows (Ghost Busters). Previous research has suggested that people who are fans of a television show or movie are more likely to purchase a fantasy brand than those who are unfamiliar with the show or movie. Additionally previous research indicates that some people believe product placement is invasive and results in negative brand image. However, no previous research directly compared product placement to fantasy brands, and which a consumer might prefer. This paper will explore the advantages and disadvantages of both product placement and fantasy brands. The study conducted tested 175 subjects in a moderated laboratory setting to discover which form of advertising was more likely to drive a purchase interaction. This study goes on to provide evidence that consumers are more likely to purchase a fantasy brand when there is a high level of “fandom”. However, if they have a low level of “fandom” they are more likely to purchase the item in the form of product placement. This paper contributes to the idea of branding, experiential consumption, and advertising in an overcrowded era.

Detta arbete har undersökt vad Tv-spelare online tycker om omvänd produktplacering (ReverseProduct Placement, RPP) jämfört med vanlig produktplacering. RPP innebär att föra överfiktiva varumärken från filmer, Tv-serier och annan media till verkligheten och sälja verkligamotsvarigheter av produkterna. RPP i kombination med Tv-spel är ett ganska outforskat områdeoch detta arbete skrevs för att hjälpa fylla det hålet. Data om vad folk tycker samlades in via en digital enkät som delades via en länk iinternetforum, exempelvis Reddit. Resultaten visar att en marknadsföringskampanj för enuppföljare där konsumenten får en ätbar produkt som gåva vid förbokning eller köp av spelethar stor chans att locka fans av serien. Den skulle kunna vara något mer effektiv än en kampanjmed PP-element eftersom Tv-spelare har en något mer positiv inställning till RPP än PP. / The objective was to examine what gamers online thought about using Reverse ProductPlacement (RPP) to advertise for video game releases and if they would prefer it over regular product placement. RPP, for the uninitiated, is about transferring fictional brands and products from pieces of media like movies and Tv-shows into the real world and selling physical versions of the products. Using RPP for video games is a very unexplored area and this work is supposed to help fill that gap. Data was gathered through a digital survey that gathered respondents by posting a link to it on online forums like Reddit. The results indicate that using a marketing campaign where the consumer gets an edible product when buying or preordering a sequel have a chance of enticing fans of the series the marketed game is a part of. Such a campaign may be more successful than a campaign with PP-elements since gamers have a more positive attitude towards RPP than they do towards PP.