With the state of the economy and ad sales plummeting, it’s been necessary for companies to find new ways to get their products to the public. Some do it respectfully by targeting specific groups, people they know are interested in their product (for instance, people who listen to a certain podcast). Other companies have chosen the subliminal road by placing products strategically in movies and television shows.

If you were one of the many people who saw Couples Retreat this weekend, then rest happy knowing that you didn’t only pay for a movie but commercials as well. According to Variety, Universal was able to raise millions of dollars in marketing support through product placement in Couples Retreat. The most prominent, though, was the movie’s promotion of Guitar Hero 5, an Activision game. Apparently, Activision teamed up with Universal once they heard that Vince Vaughn’s character was salesperson who sold the game. Jon Favreau and Vaughn wrote a lengthy scene that involved the game.

This not only allowed the new game to be promoted, but also to “cement its place in pop culture.” I love the game just as much as anyone else, but I’m also in the same boat as people who think that if you want to play guitar, you should just pick up a real guitar. It’s a lot more fun. Unfortunately, a lot of people went out to see Couples Retreat even with the terrible promotion that that movie suffered from. So I’m guessing that Guitar Hero 5 will be selling plenty of copies this week.