This poster picture I got from Wikipedia.
Bless their hearts and their web-based encyclopedia. They're like the first resource for whatever it is that you want to look for at short notice and don't want to delve too deep into details. Just a general overview, that sort of thing.
Right, I'm getting sidetracked here.
I was going to write about the movie itself, but I'll do it another time.
Because right now, I'm thinking about something else. Something that's what this movie is all about and something that I've been talking about for the last one and a half years to nearly everyone and anyone.
People whom I've interacted with over meetings and networking events will know that there's been lots of sharing about branded entertainment and brand integration and product attributes and licensing and product integration and characterization and personalization from Lauric and/or Brand Pathogen.
And despite the fact that everyone seems to find the concept new, or mind-boggling, or unheard of, truth is, it's been there since 1941. We're talking 70 years. Seventy years this concept has been sitting there in the world of digital comics and despite the fact that it's not often discussed, well, this "geriatric" concept is making a comeback now.
You could head off to Wikipedia and take a read.
Wonder Woman was created in 1941 by the same psychologist who invented the systolic-blood-pressure-measuring apparatus which led to the development of the polygraph test. His apparatus wasn't as well received as he hoped it would be when it made its debut in 1921, and twenty years would pass before he created the character of Wonder Woman as a superheroine, redefining what the roles of women were during the WWII era and featuring his systolic-blood-pressure-measuring apparatus integrated into the character's weaponry as the Lasso of Truth.
It is the Lasso that is now recognized as a "device to extract truth from people", more than as an allegory of feminine charm. Whilst it has been stated that the Lasso was more about how emotions work itself into submission and truth, today, it is oft quoted that it is the pop culture representation of modern day polygraph test.
Yet, do you see the systolic blood pressure measuring apparatus anywhere in the Wonder Woman franchise? Is it frequently featured? Is it even featured at all? Does it have to? And let's say if it was, can you imagine how it would be in Wonder Woman 2017 if Gal Gadot aka Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman was lugging around that piece of gear besides her already conspicuous sword and shield? How would she have looked like when changing into her dress? How would she have escaped notice? How would she have blended in amongst the ladies?
Now, it could be possible, I suppose, but had that been done in 1941, given the circumstances, it would have been a blatant product placement in the comic and that would have garnered less interest than the Lasso itself. It would not have been a weapon used by a superheroine. It would have been... I don't know... something else. People in the midst of a world war do not wish to be reminded of a polygraph measuring apparatus, thank you very much.
They don't mind a Lasso that's made out of special Amazon chemicals though. They don't mind a woman shaped out of clay and is immortal and can fight unarmed and so on. It's not in your face. It's not threatening. It's not shoving the lie detector into your face and telling you straight-up about its benefits and how it can shape the course of events or change the world or anything like that. And we're talking wartime s***.
It tells you that people who use these things are heroes (and heroines). It tells you that courage and love are what drives the results of the Lasso, oops, lie detector apparatus. It reveals to you the strengths of having a piece of equipment aka weapon that can make people submit and reveal the truth through, of course... their blood pressure readings.
This is what Brand Integration or Product Integration is about.
The attributes of the polygraph lie detector are represented there in the Lasso. The goals it sets out to achieve are achieved when Wonder Woman uses her Lasso. What Marston did was to build his frequently-rejected systolic-blood-pressure-measuring apparatus into a Lasso of Truth. The key word being 'truth' because nowhere are we finding a hint of that d*** equipment in the comic except in revealing the TRUTH.
And he created a character who would use it. A character that defied the norms of the day. A character that would definitely have caught the eyes of comic book readers in the day. A character sexy, tough, powerful, strong-willed, lover of peace, someone of high EQ.
And then he plonked the character right into the heart of the DC universe. We know the rest. Wonder Woman is the founding member of the Justice League and given that in 2017, "the future of justice begins with her", I think she's not going anywhere anytime soon.
That's product integration for you.
And by the way, the fame of the lie detector hasn't been overwhelmed by the Lasso of Truth. Popular culture didn't subvert the actual product itself, did it, and we know that d*** well, don't we? ;)
Right, I'm getting sidetracked here.
I was going to write about the movie itself, but I'll do it another time.
Because right now, I'm thinking about something else. Something that's what this movie is all about and something that I've been talking about for the last one and a half years to nearly everyone and anyone.
People whom I've interacted with over meetings and networking events will know that there's been lots of sharing about branded entertainment and brand integration and product attributes and licensing and product integration and characterization and personalization from Lauric and/or Brand Pathogen.
And despite the fact that everyone seems to find the concept new, or mind-boggling, or unheard of, truth is, it's been there since 1941. We're talking 70 years. Seventy years this concept has been sitting there in the world of digital comics and despite the fact that it's not often discussed, well, this "geriatric" concept is making a comeback now.
You could head off to Wikipedia and take a read.
Wonder Woman was created in 1941 by the same psychologist who invented the systolic-blood-pressure-measuring apparatus which led to the development of the polygraph test. His apparatus wasn't as well received as he hoped it would be when it made its debut in 1921, and twenty years would pass before he created the character of Wonder Woman as a superheroine, redefining what the roles of women were during the WWII era and featuring his systolic-blood-pressure-measuring apparatus integrated into the character's weaponry as the Lasso of Truth.
It is the Lasso that is now recognized as a "device to extract truth from people", more than as an allegory of feminine charm. Whilst it has been stated that the Lasso was more about how emotions work itself into submission and truth, today, it is oft quoted that it is the pop culture representation of modern day polygraph test.
Yet, do you see the systolic blood pressure measuring apparatus anywhere in the Wonder Woman franchise? Is it frequently featured? Is it even featured at all? Does it have to? And let's say if it was, can you imagine how it would be in Wonder Woman 2017 if Gal Gadot aka Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman was lugging around that piece of gear besides her already conspicuous sword and shield? How would she have looked like when changing into her dress? How would she have escaped notice? How would she have blended in amongst the ladies?
Now, it could be possible, I suppose, but had that been done in 1941, given the circumstances, it would have been a blatant product placement in the comic and that would have garnered less interest than the Lasso itself. It would not have been a weapon used by a superheroine. It would have been... I don't know... something else. People in the midst of a world war do not wish to be reminded of a polygraph measuring apparatus, thank you very much.
They don't mind a Lasso that's made out of special Amazon chemicals though. They don't mind a woman shaped out of clay and is immortal and can fight unarmed and so on. It's not in your face. It's not threatening. It's not shoving the lie detector into your face and telling you straight-up about its benefits and how it can shape the course of events or change the world or anything like that. And we're talking wartime s***.
It tells you that people who use these things are heroes (and heroines). It tells you that courage and love are what drives the results of the Lasso, oops, lie detector apparatus. It reveals to you the strengths of having a piece of equipment aka weapon that can make people submit and reveal the truth through, of course... their blood pressure readings.
This is what Brand Integration or Product Integration is about.
The attributes of the polygraph lie detector are represented there in the Lasso. The goals it sets out to achieve are achieved when Wonder Woman uses her Lasso. What Marston did was to build his frequently-rejected systolic-blood-pressure-measuring apparatus into a Lasso of Truth. The key word being 'truth' because nowhere are we finding a hint of that d*** equipment in the comic except in revealing the TRUTH.
And he created a character who would use it. A character that defied the norms of the day. A character that would definitely have caught the eyes of comic book readers in the day. A character sexy, tough, powerful, strong-willed, lover of peace, someone of high EQ.
And then he plonked the character right into the heart of the DC universe. We know the rest. Wonder Woman is the founding member of the Justice League and given that in 2017, "the future of justice begins with her", I think she's not going anywhere anytime soon.
That's product integration for you.
And by the way, the fame of the lie detector hasn't been overwhelmed by the Lasso of Truth. Popular culture didn't subvert the actual product itself, did it, and we know that d*** well, don't we? ;)