Miller Lite is turning to an old page in its playbook, with a new gang of celebrities designed to boost the flagging brew in a fresh slate of TV commercials served up on another iconic platter for the franchise, "Miller Time." The new go-to guys for Miller Lite include Vince Vaughn, Ken Jeong, Chuck Liddell and Questlove.

But interestingly, Miller brand managers say that their new campaign (watch below) will not seek to trade too heavily on the appeal or persona of any one of its new stable of celebrity pitch people. One ad wonders what it would be like to hang out with actor Jeong, who will star in the upcoming Hangover Part III—but he's self-deprecating in the spot.

"Celebrity is not our strategy," Con Williamson, chief creative officer at Saatchi & Saatchi, the agency behind the campaign, told Ad Age. "Our strategy is solely focused on Miller Time." That, of course, will leave Miller strategically opposed to the growing number of tight tie-ups between beverage brands and individual celebrities, including Justin Timberlake and Bud Light Platinum, Taylor Swift and Diet Coke, and Beyonce and Pepsi.Continue reading...

As one of the commenters on the YouTube upload of the official trailer for The Internship movie notes, "I can't believe Google was okay with this movie." Not only did the brand approve all the teasing of Google's corporate culture, there was a Google+ Hangout for the film with Conan O'Brien chatting with co-stars Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson.

Last week we looked at two product placements in movies starring this weekend's lead men. Did you know which was what?Continue reading...

Before we get to this week's quiz or this week's look at the battling beer placements in this week's two big releases, The Green Hornet (starring Seth Rogen) and The Dilemma (featuring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James), kick back and take in the above snapshot of beer brands and product placement put together for the blog Filmdrunk.

Done? Good. Now let's look at all the intriguing product placement around this week's dueling "tall doofus" films, including a "ooh" at what could have been, with an attractive offer to replace Green Hornet's iconic Imperial Crown with a Beemer.Continue reading...

Vince Vaughn knows Guitar Hero. And he should. His character, Dave, sells Guitar Heros for a living in the romantic comedy Couples Retreat. When the film’s plot escalates to an intense and hilarious jam session between Dave and his island nemesis, Stanley (Peter Serafinowicz), the stage is set for a Hollywood-size product placement. But Guitar Hero has many supporting cast members, as this week's brandcameo reports:

Food and beverage brands dominate this film as Budweiser, Bud Light, Pepsi, Starbucks, Froot Loops and Applebee’s receive screen time – whether verbal or visual – in the film. Tech brands Apple, PowerPoint and Guitar Hero have prominent brandcameos, as do apparel brands Under Armour and Polo. Club Med, Sandals, Volkswagen, Ford and Solistone tiles round out the brandcameo roundup.

Written by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, Couples Retreat explores modern-day marriage at mid-life, and the storyline is framed by product placements that reveal youthful desires for Froot Loops and the adult reality that no one wants to end up old and alone at Applebees. None of these product placements, however, threatens the dominance of the reigning champion in our brandcameo listing of product placements in No. 1 films.

Visit our brandcameo page for next week’s debut films and brandchannel’s complete reference list of product placements in this and other top-grossing films.