Spider-Man: Brand New Day recently released in theaters, and everyone is talking about it. The reviews are in, and Brand New Day has exceeded expectations in every way. While the reviews are stellar, many fans can’t help but notice the awkward and blatant product placements in the film, leading audiences to question whether it was necessary to compromise their immersion for the sake of funding.
A Brand New Day
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the fourth Spider-Man film in the MCU starring Tom Holland. The film picks up where No Way Home left off, with the world forgetting Peter Parker. As Parker struggles to reconnect with his friends, he leans into his role as Spider-Man, facing some of his most iconic villains, such as Scorpion (played by Michael Mando), and John Bernthal’s Punisher from the iconic Netflix series.
Brand New Day is a massive success for Holland, who is on the way to becoming one of the biggest actors in the world. Brand New Day has achieved one of the highest grossing opening weekends ever, making just short of $1 billion. With Brand New Day reaching these heights, Holland has now been a part of four of the largest opening weekends ever, making him one of the few actors to achieve this.
Holland’s BERO Plug
While the film was a success for Holland’s acting career, it was also a success for his venture into business, BERO. BERO is a non-alcoholic beer, which Holland co-founded in 2024 as a way to enjoy going to the bar after he quit drinking. BERO is one of the many product placements seen in Brand New Day, with Peter Parker coming across a shelf full of BERO as he shops in a corner store. While this is one of the most obvious product placements in the film, many view this as the least offensive due to Holland’s connection to the brand and the positive mission BERO has set out to achieve.
Corporate Sponsorships and Product Placements
While fans viewed BERO as a harmless nod, fans reacted negatively to placements from other companies. Throughout the course of the film many recognizable brands make an appearance, often becoming the center of a particular shot to highlight their inclusion. This can be seen early in the film when Peter Parker orders Little Caesars, and the bright orange box becomes the focal point of the shot as it contrasts Parker’s dark and dingy apartment.
Little Caesars was not the only product included, as many couldn’t help but notice BMW, Liquid I.V., and Samsung as well. The Samsung placement was one of the most consistent, as many characters, including Peter Parker, all use a Samsung Z Fold flip phone. This becomes difficult to ignore when Ned Leeds, Spider-Man’s former best friend, uses the flip phone to show off his state-of-the-art Spider-Man tracker. Ned’s actor, Jacob Batalon, also did an ad campaign for Liquid I.V., appearing as Ned in a series of advertisements.
With so many sponsorships and promotional ad partnerships, many fans have wondered if it was all really necessary. Disney, one of the largest companies in the entertainment industry, owns Marvel, so it should be no issue for them to come up with the funding for a project at this level without relying on sponsorships, which ruin the audience’s immersion.
Has Product Placement Always Been This Obvious?
The concept of corporate sponsorships is not new; in fact, it has been a running joke for years. In the 1992 comedy Wayne’s World, Mike Meyers, who plays Wayne Campbell, pulls a now-famous gag where he holds up a Pizza Hut box while stating that he will not take sponsorships.
Even recently, in 2023, Barbie faced backlash for its sponsorships, with many stating that it became a commercial for Chevy during one of its chase scenes, which places the car and the Chevy logo as the focal point of a tense scene.
With Spider-Man making $932 million globally during its opening weekend, many feel that these product placements were in no way necessary, as the film has already become massively profitable. While fans have poked fun at or criticized these product placements, the consensus for Spider-Man: Brand New Day is that the film captures everything a Spider-Man film should. After what many view as a comeback for the MCU, fans cannot wait to get more Marvel content; however, there is a long wait ahead until Avengers: Doomsday releases this December.
