ABSTRACT

The purpose of this case study is to evaluate the ethicality of product placement in movies. The 2017 film, Saban’s Power Rangers, features the product placement of Krispy Kreme multiple times throughout the run. Beyond a mere mentioning or displaying of the brand, a brick and mortar location of Krispy Kreme is integral to the plot. Specifically, in the middle of the final climactic battle, the main antagonist, Rita Repulsa, stops and enjoys a bite of a Krispy Kreme donut. This scene and the placement of Krispy Kreme’s brand will be analyzed using the Potter Box model. The Potter Box model is a method of analyzing the ethics of media messages based on facts, values, loyalties, and ethical principles. The ethical principle that will be applied to the Potter Box analysis is Aristotle’s Golden Mean. This case study will answer three main questions on a micro, midrange, and macro-scale respectively.

1. Does the realism of an existing brand such as Krispy Kreme offset the obtrusiveness of product placement?

2. Should consumers that pay to see media be accepting of product placement?

3. What recommendations can be made on how to properly perform product placement?