The Boys has been known for poking fun at everything under the sun, but series creator Eric Kripke revealed its joke about digital product placement was aimed at Amazon itself.
The Boysfeatured aparody of Disney’s D-23 expo, Vought’s V52 Expo. The expo was full of trailers and teases, taking a shot at the regularbarrage of MCU announcements.
One surprising thing the show did take a shot at was digital product placement. In The Boys, Vought programs now replace advertised products on their shows depending on the audience. As series creator Eric Kripke revealed in a social media post, it’s an actual shot at a conversation he had with Amazon.
Y’know, custom digital product placement is a real thing, you guys. Amazon pitched it to us for#TheBoys, we said no thanks, but we’re definitely making a joke about it in Season 4. Then we did.https://t.co/dEi8Vc3IXSpic.twitter.com/jGIemMZM9e
“Y’know, custom digital product placement is a real thing, you guys,” Kripkesaidon X/Twitter. “Amazon pitched it to us for #TheBoys. We said, ‘No thanks, but we’re definitely making a joke about it in Season 4.’ Then we did.”
The joke in the show highlights the extreme potential of digital product placement. Vought showcases the technology as a way to target its audience, but the examples instead target racial stereotypes, showing white viewers an IPA and Black viewers a bottle of peach-flavored cognac.
Digital product placement is far from a new idea, having existed for years. It started withshows like Friendsand NCIS. Distributors found a revenue stream potentially in the billions by replacing or adding advertised products to these classic shows when they were rebroadcast in syndication or on streaming.
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For now, The Boys will remain free of digital product placement, but the trend continues to grow. Most recently, fans noticed advertising agenciesusing A.I. to insert ads into TikTok videos.
While you wait for more from Season 4, check out our ranking ofThe Boys seasonsandThe Boys Season 3’s most shocking moments. You can also learn aboutnew TV shows streamingthis year, likeThe Penguin TV show, or look ahead toInvincible Season 3.
Christopher Baggett was a TV & Movies Writer on Dexerto’s US team and a comics expert, across DC Comics and Marvel. He also has bylines at ComicsBeat, Comic Book Resources, and The HomeWorld.
