Ever wonder what would happen if Amazon’s marketing team and the twisted minds behind “The Boys” had a baby? Well, buckle up, folks; we’re about to find out!
Creator Eric Kripke, the mad genius behind everyone’s favorite superhero satire, let slip recently about an insane pitch for ad placement from Amazon. Imagine this: bespoke digital ad placement that changes depending on who’s watching. It reads a little like science fiction—one gets the sense that no one is even safe in their fever dreams anymore.
Amazon wanted to use fancy tech to swap out products in “The Boys, depending on who was watching. You’re watching a scene where Homelander chugs a beer, and—in the world of targeted ads—the magic happens: the label changes into your favorite brand. Creepy or cool? You decide.
Long story short, Kripke and his merry band of pranksters didn’t sell out. Instead, they took this wacko notion and made some funny gold. Because if you can’t beat them, roast them on prime-time TV, right?
In Season 4’s “Beware the Jabberwock, My Son,” aka points for the Lewis Carroll reference, everyone, writers decided to let their freak flag fly. They shook out a scene in which some Vought suits pitch a product that changes depending on who’s watching. Then comes the kicker: an IPA turning into cognac for Black viewers. Pleasant and subtle as a sledgehammer—just how we love them.
Now, before you start checking your drink to see if it’s shape-shifting, pump the brakes. Current virtual product placement tech isn’t quite that slick yet. It takes time and effort to set up, so your beer isn’t going to turn into a smoothie mid-sip any time soon.
You have to hand it to “The Boys” crew: when life gives them a dystopian lemon from the advertising world, they make satire-ade. In some ways, it felt like they held up a funhouse mirror to Amazon’s “innovative” idea and showed just how genuinely absurd the world of targeted advertisement could get.
So, what are your thoughts? Is custom digital product placement the future of TV, or just another step toward our cyberpunk overlords? Either way, at least we can count on “The Boys” to keep it accurate. and funny.
