Imaginary brands revisited

Anyone among you who remembers this earlier item on imaginary brands may be interested in the recent Brandweek bit on “reverse product placement.”

While traditional product placement refers to integrating a real brand into a fictional environment, an idea that’s gaining traction is to create a fictional brand in a fictional environment and then release it into the real world.

Take 2 Interactive, the videogame company, has several fictional brands in its Grand Theft Auto games, including Sprunk cola and Cluckin’ Bell, a fast-food chicken chain that has its own Web site (cluckinbellhappychicken.com) that includes menu items like the Cluckin’ Huge Meal and the Cluckin’ Little Meal. A Take 2 rep declined to comment on any plans to release those brands in the real world anytime soon, though future games will feature more fictional brands.