Crazy Stupid Love, an American romantic comedy, opens up with a shot of different shoes and legs in a restaurant. After a minute of watching nice shoes and people playing with each other’s feet, we end up with Cal (Steve Carrell) and his wife Emily (Julianne Moore). She’s wearing nice pumps, while he put on New Balance sneakers. Do you smell trouble?
Next minute Emily told Cal that she wants a divorce. She admits that she cheated on him with a coworker. Cal moves into his own apartment and begins visiting some bar night after night, talking loudly about his divorce. Suddenly he attracts the attention of a young ladies-man Jacob (Ryan Gosling), who takes Cal shopping, gets him a completely new wardrobe and changes his style. He tops it with lessons in women seduction.
Crazy Stupid Love is set in a modern day Los Angeles and has some great opportunities for an interesting product placement. Thankfully the producers didn’t exaggerate with placements; however they have succeeded in providing some very exciting ones.
Let’s check some most obvious examples.
New Balance
I’ve already mentioned that Cal wore New Balance sneakers while going out to the restaurant with his wife.
We could also see him wearing the same sneakers when he met with Jacob for his fashion makeover. Jacob was horrified:
Jacob: “What happened to your feet?”
Cal: “What do you mean? These are my 407s.”
Jacob: “Oh, they’re 407s.”
Jacob asked Cal for his sneakers and then threw them away. The conversation continued:
Jacob: “Are you Steve Jobs?”
Cal: “What?”
Jacob: “Hold on a second. Are you the billionaire owner of Apple Computers?”
Cal: “No.”
Jacob: “Oh. Okay. Well, in that case, you got no right to wear New Balance sneakers ever.”
Jacob was of course referring to Steve Jobs appearance – he was wearing sneakers along with his traditional combination of jeans and black turtleneck. Jobs’ choice of sneakers was New Balance 991s. This was a negative placement for New Balance and I don’t know the reason why the filmmakers chose New Balance. It could have been Reebok, Nike or any other brand.
Gap
Here’s another example of negative placement. Gap was only mentioned in the movie when Jacob suggested that Cal should buy new jeans. He wasn’t particularly in favor of that idea and suggested that they should visit Gap.
Jacob wasn’t impressed with Cal’s proposal:
Jacob: “Cal, be better than the Gap. Be better than the Gap. Say it.”
Cal: “I’m better than the Gap.”
Volvo
Cal’s wife Emily was driving Volvo’s SUV XC90
Mobile phones
Several characters used their mobile phones and surprisingly no one had an iPhone :)
Photo camera
Jessica, 17-year-old babysitter for Cal’s kids, took naked photos of herself with the help of Panasonic Lumix photo camera.
Ryan Gosling’s clothes
Entertainment Weekly reported that nine or 10 wardrobe changes are the norm for a film, but Gosling’s Jacob had 36. “His clothes are his art,” explained the film’s producer Denise Di Novi. “It’s a way of giving his life some higher meaning.”
According to Entertainment Weekly many of Jacob’s suits were designed by The Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. (yes, that Albert Hammond!) and Ilaria Urbinati, co-owner of L.A. boutique Confederacy. The stylists also used Parisian brand Gossuin’s custom-made shirts and some pieces from designers like Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, and Simon Spurr to complete Gosling’s look.
Chad sunglasses by Selima Optique
Ryan Gosling was wearing one great model of sunglasses – it was Chad by Selima Optique.
If you click on Selima’s link above you’ll find an interesting explanation about Chad sunglasses:
These can usually be seen on a certain dashing young star, we won’t name-drop, of course!
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Can we say that product placement works?
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Other movies from the ‘Product placement in pictures’ series:
What shoes is Gosling wearing?
I think Confederacy and Versace. You can read more about Gosling’s styling here: http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201107/crazy-stupid-love-costume-designer-dayna-pink-makeover-scene-steve-carell-ryan-gosling
Ryan Gosling has an iPhone in the movie
I want to know what brand of shoes the cute pumps with the double buckles in the opening scene are! And where can I buy some??
The shoes that Gosling wears in the mall scene are by Salvatore Ferragamo, and in the pile of shirts there is a Canali one, a famous expensive italian brand. However, in every scene, Gosling looks amazing. Great movie