Literature On Cars and product placement

Tonstad39

God of wisdom
I was just writing a story for my Deviantart page and I came across the most suprising piece of writer’s block: should I give the reader the make and model of te car or stick to a more generic destinction. The story in question is a Modern fantasy about a Turkish antique shop who buys a Genie lamp. Now i’m at a scene where the main character is about to drive the Genie (Who hasn’t been summond in little over eighty years). I visualize the main character driving a Silver 2004 Renault Clio as the Genie exposits on his tragic backstory to the main character & the reader. I know naming the companies that make certain things like cars or computers can give the reader a vivid idea of what things, but that is also serving as an advertizing vehicle for companies that didn’t pay me. Long story short, I’m wondering weather or not to name the company or just stick to a more generic descriptor (SIlver Hatchback) to avoid manipulating the reader towards a product that doesn’t even exist in my home country (USA) or to go for the vivid product placement.
 
Imo, you mentioning a specific model of car in your story isn't going to give the brand any clout, and tbh paid product placement isn't really a common practice in literature anyway. That's more of something you have to worry about when you're looking at film or TV adaptations, but I assure you that you are safe in naming a specific brand or type of car in your story.
 
I figured and I used to not worry about product placement in my stories all that often as it was a way to bring the real world into fiction. But now with ever more stringent copyright laws and serious plans to commercially publish an anthology, I worry that even the slightest allusion to a company will result in deletion or worse!
 
I worry that even the slightest allusion to a company will result in deletion or worse!

This is precisely why we have fair use laws in place. As long as a certain product isn't the paramount focus of a scene, and you aren't slandering the brand or showing their product in a negative light, you shouldn't have any problems.

Here's a thread from Reddit on the matter if you'd like to see some other opinions, but they basically all come to the same conclusions, haha.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top