Popularity because of good product placement

[Great Scot]

Weird question, but do you think some pistols succeeded because of good product placement? Examples include, Walther PPK (Bond), Smith 29 (Dirty Harry), Beretta 92 (Die Hard, Lethal Weapon). And this is not to say that these are good guns, but they’re not head and shoulders above other designs, but at points in time, they sold like hot cakes. I guess this begs the question, moving forward is a pistol one good movie from becoming a phenomenon? And don’t get me wrong, just because a gun makes a high profile in a movie doesn’t mean it’s good, but it might sell well.

 

[.38 Special]

Sure. The Model 29 is probably the most obvious example, as they'd been trundling along as a relatively specialized hunting and outdoorsman's gun until the movie - at which point they became expensive unobtanium for several years.

At least in my neck of the woods, the big Desert Eagles were pretty thin on the ground until "Matrix". I remember a range session a few months later where there were four of them on the line...

 

[edwardware]

Weird question, but do you think some pistols succeeded because of good product placement?

Of course! Every pistol developed since the 1911A1 is proof of this.

 

[AJC1]

The m92 is popular from the military the same as the 1911 was/is. Now if I could afford a John wick 2011 that would be something. I wanted one before the movie.

 

[Rock185]

Product placement sure helps, but I think the guns you mention would have been successful, product placement or not. For example, I bought a new 29 along about '70-'71 before the movie came out. I bought a Berretta 92 because I wanted to try out the new US service pistol. Again, before the movies where this pistol was prominently displayed came out. I did buy a new Walther PP .22 back in the '70s, but not with any thought about movie Walthers. I think they were all just good guns, destined to be successful on their own merits...

Guns in movies moving forward? I don't know. If they're not good guns, possibly initially improved sales, then into the Ol' "dustbin of history".

 

[Pat Riot]

I do think gun placement in movies has sold a bunch of various models of guns. Like @Great Scot mentioned. Specifically the model 29. When I was a kid all my Dad’s friends that saw Dirty Harry scrambled to buy model 29s.

I have been in gun stores several times where guys have come in searching for “a gun like Clint Eastwood’s S&W model 627 in Blood Work.” I have actually never seen one in person. Maybe because they have all been snatched up by fans?

Tom Selleck’s Sharps rifle in Quigley Down Under, though not a handgun, sure boosted Shiloh Sharps’ sales dramatically, I am sure.

 

[jmr40]

Nothing new. Lever action rifles would have probably died out after WW-1 had it not been for the popularity of the early western movies. Same with Single Action revolvers. They were all but dead by WW-2, but all the western themed TV shows from the 1950's through the 1970's revived them. Even grown men wanted to emulate John Wayne and Matt Dillon.

 

[Seedy Character]

Of course, it matters.

Well documented, NIKE had a show that was being discontinued because of poor sales.
A fluke, not product placement, Farah Fawcett wore that shoe, in an episode of Charlie's Angels. By the weekend, all stock was sold and backorders were piling up.

Companies pay huge bucks for product placement.

 

[Old Dog]

Pretty sure "The Walking Dead" series on AMC sold more'n a few crossbows and 6" stainless Colt Pythons... I also know there were a few folks made some money buying up and selling basketweave duty belts with holsters for 4" barreled revolvers with the bottoms cut out...

Just like Burt Reynolds in his "Smokey and the Bandit" movies sold quite a few Firebirds (I know; I bought one, worst car I ever owned).

Buddy who owns a gun shop said he sold quite a few H&K USP .45s after Tom Cruise's great "Yo Homey, is that my briefcase?" scene in the movie "Collateral."

 

[twarr1]

do you think some pistols succeeded because of good product placement?[/QUOTE

Yes

 

[Howland937]

I think there's definitely correlation between popular movies and selling guns, and I think the OP laid out probably the most distinct examples. Yes, small arms our military fields tend to find success in the civilian market place, but some of the examples mentioned have nothing to do with military small arms.

If there were a way to track sales of specific guns in the immediacy of appearing in a blockbuster movie, I'd be willing to bet it's not a small influence. How many 29's were sold annually prior to their big screen debut? PPK's? AutoMag? DE?

Sure, gun aficionados were buying some of these but they weren't responsible for the explosion in popularity. Was it necessarily product placement in terms of a marketing strategy, though? Maybe? How popular were the Delorean's before Back to the Future vs after?

 

[WestKentucky]

Funny that nobody buys colt official police revolvers and only keeps 1 round available in their shirt pocket.

I can’t think of any designs right off the top of my head that would have flopped because they were terrible, but survived because of advertisement or use on a TV show. Lots of guns got help but very few if any that would have totally failed on their own merits have survived.

It’s a shame that the Hudson H9 didn’t make the cut for some major movie.

And just for the record, Clint Eastwood never made me want a single thing other than a cigar stub. Only movies of his I can tolerate are the dollar series and 2 miles for Sister Sara.

 

[.308 Norma]

And just for the record, Clint Eastwood never made me want a single thing other than a cigar stub. Only movies of his I can tolerate are the dollar series and 2 miles for Sister Sara.

The first time my wife told me she loves me was during the opening credits for the movie, "Kelly's Heroes." That was 51 years ago. I still don't want a Thompson sub machine gun though. I've never wanted one of those converted, cartridge firing revolvers (whatever they were) Clint used in those spaghetti westerns either.
On the other hand, I kind of like Smith 29s, even though I never did care much for any of the "Dirty Harry" movies.

 

[.308 Norma]

Tom Selleck’s Sharps rifle in Quigley Down Under, though not a handgun, sure boosted Shiloh Sharps’ sales dramatically, I am sure.

Yeah, Quigley's rifle sure did boost Shiloh Sharps' sales dramatically. I'd wanted a rifle like Quigley's since the first time I saw the movie in 1991, so my wife ordered one for me for our 25th anniversary in 1996. All I actually got on our anniversary was the order form and receipt though because Shilou Rifle Company was still two years behind on their orders in 1996. For our 27th anniversary, my wife and I took a little mini-vacation and drove up to Big Timber, Montana - where I finally picked up my 25th anniversary gift.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

And Dean Winchester's 1911 and Sam's 92 in Super Natural.

Supernatural - Season 11 - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games (imfdb.org)

 

[AJC1]

I own a mini 14 and that had zero to do with the a team, and I would choose a highwall in 45-70 over a sharps every time.

 

[Pat Riot]

I own a mini 14 and that had zero to do with the a team, and I would choose a highwall in 45-70 over a sharps every time.

Funny. I wouldn’t own a Mini-14 because it was on “A Team”.
And I agree on the High Wall.

 

[Ethan Verity]

I know I'm a sucker to good product placement, I've got the first two guns on that list!

 

[Tallball]

Of course. Just like cars and soft drinks and beer and whatever else.

 

[sparkyv]

I think Gluck is a prime example...let the flaming begin!


I watched this last night.

The first time my wife told me she loves me was during the opening credits for the movie, "Kelly's Heroes." That was 51 years ago. I

 

[entropy]

Weird question, but do you think some pistols succeeded because of good product placement? Examples include, Walther PPK (Bond), Smith 29 (Dirty Harry), Beretta 92 (Die Hard, Lethal Weapon). And this is not to say that these are good guns, but they’re not head and shoulders above other designs, but at points in time, they sold like hot cakes. I guess this begs the question, moving forward is a pistol one good movie from becoming a phenomenon? And don’t get me wrong, just because a gun makes a high profile in a movie doesn’t mean it’s good, but it might sell well.

Well, resale prices on Pythons (not just 6" stainless ones either) sure shot up after Rick Grimes started dispatching zombies with one. I could have used that bump upward back when I sold my last Python.

I admit wanting a PPK, until I shot one and sliced the web of my hand open. I now prefer Bond's original gun, the Beretta 1934.

One would have to be an Old Dog to remember Barney Fife and to want to carry a revolver and one bullet in their pocket.

 

[Great Scot]

Thanks for great responses! I guess that begs the question, why aren’t gun manufacturers trying to place their products in more movies? I’d enjoy seeing a P365 or Walther PDP in the next big shoot ‘em up. Not just an endless stream of Glocks. Or even a Smith 327 snub! Seems like it would be money well spent.

 

[JT-AR-MG42]

Clint Eastwood never made me want a single thing

LOL!
The day after I saw Clint in 'The Gauntlet' I decided I could not live without a 2 1/2" 66.
Bought one off of a senior State Trooper for 300 - over retail, as they were hard to find - and was thrilled.
Best day ever.

That pistol shot like a POS with anything from a wadcutter to full house!
Traded it soon after for a straight Underwood carbine that was all War 2 configuration.
2nd best day ever.

Have not bought a gun based on use in a movie since.

JT

 

[jmorris]

Placement in the hands of millions does seem to make a pretty successful product.

The Marlin model 60, Ruger 10/22 and lots of others have sold more than 27,28 and 29 S&W models combined and neither are well known movie stars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-produced_firearms

 

[Speedo66]

Have to admit reading Fleming's Bond books got me interested in PP/K's. Same for the Rolex Submariner.

Had both, the Walther is gone, the Rolex now resides on my son's wrist.