GQ and Sony get Friends with no Benefits

One of many OTT GQ product placements in the film

I made the mistake of just going to the cinema and seeing a film that was on and instantly regretted it. Ok maybe not instantly but certainly within a couple of minutes. Friends With Benefits is one of the worst movies ever and Sony and GQ is plastered all over it and not in a subtle sophisticated way.

The two stars are vacuous and have no sex appeal and have no obvious spark between them, the storyline is appalling and for a supposed comedy it’s a laugh free zone. So I as was getting bored and letting my waitress delivered wine in Golden Village’s Gold Class First Class airline-style seats numb the pain of the film I began to wonder why on earth GQ would invest so much in the film and why they would even associate with it.

One of the few shots in the film without either GQ or Sony in.....

The whole story revolves around GQ who have massive presence and I am sure they paid through the nose for the privilege but ironically Sony (who’s picture it is) get less branding for any single product but overall get more as they try and cram in every single Sony product going .

The film doesn’t reflect will on GQ and presents the myriad of Sony devices in the film (from phone to lap top to TV although curiously not the new Sony playbook) in a less than flattering and in a very obvious light.  If it’s being rammed down your throat and you have paid to watch it the product placement actually detracts from the film and you are less likely to take up the offer of buying one of their products especially if the film itself is mind numbingly terrible…..

A class above Friends...funnier, sexier, more appealing characters, edgier, touching, well written, better scenery...and no product placement....

Little White Lies on the hand is one of the best movies I have ever seen (think a darker, funnier Love Actually/Closer with French actors and landscape) but it had no product placements to spoil the story and ambience of the film and was actually funny and well written unlike Friends with Benefits which was probably written by the Editor of GQ and the Marketing Director of Sony and suffers as a result…….