In case you were wondering what Bruce Willis is up to these days, the answer is this: he’s been reprising the role of super-cop John McClane in a new Die Hard movie, entitled A Good Day To Die Hard. The plot has him in Moscow in search of his wayward son, but instead he runs into terrorists trying to steal a nuclear weapon. He does track down his son, who turns out to be a CIA operative. Action-packed family fun ensues.
Of course that’s just one version of the plot. In the second, perhaps more relevant version, Willis shares screen time with no less than 14 different Mercedes-Benz models, including the C-Class and E-Class sedans, the G-Class and GL-Class SUVs, the Sprinter van, a Maybach 57, the legendary Unimog and even a Zetros heavy-duty truck.
Sure, there are rival brands in the film, too, like the line of BMW 7-Series sedans (presumably used by the bad guys) in the opening of the trailer. None are featured quite as prominently as the three-pointed star’s wares, which display logos throughout the film. We’re willing to cut Mercedes a bit of latitude here, since its vehicles are popular thoughout Europe and Russia. So are heavy-duty trucks from brands like Tatra, and their absence is more than a bit conspicuous.
That won’t stop us from watching the movie, since it’s not likely to be up for an academy award in 2014 anyway. Still, we can’t help but wonder when the shift from including product placements in movies, to filming movies around product placements, occurred.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
