It hasn’t come up too often around these parts but in the past I’ve had discussions with people about product placement in films. It’s funny because the films that don’t need any more money are the ones that “sell out” to product placement while the small, independent films who could probably use the extra bucks stick to their artistic integrity guns and wave Coke and Pepsi away. But leave it to My Favourite French Dude to come along and create and entirely new approach to advertising in films.

Luc Besson and advertising executive Christophe Lambert have launched a production company called “Blue” which will focus on creating “Advertainment.” The company will “produce clips, films, TV series and talk shows co-produced and financed by consumer brands.” Yes folks, in the future we may get entire films funded by brands. Hope you don’t hate that Coke commercial because the movie is probably around the corner!

On the one hand I think this is sad and a move into an even more commercialized world (I didn’t think it was possible but there it is. The “Jennifer Government” type of future seems that much closer) and on the other, I can’t help but think that this could be a good thing as well. I can think of a handful of shorts (Wong Kar Wai’s Phillips commercial “There’s Only One Sun“, Spike Jonze’s Adidas ad, and the BMW shorts) which go beyond advertising and into “art.” I’m hopeful that Blue will provide more of the same.