That viewers get annoyed by over-the-top placements doesn’t mean the products don’t generate interest as a result of their inclusion. In the two weeks following the show’s premiere, organic searches for Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair rose 40% versus the prior period, according to the brand, which says that this reflects how on-screen integration can translate into consumer interest.
The same goes for Emily in Paris: viewers expressed frustration about the placement overload in past seasons, but brands included reported increased interest and sales. Vestiaire Collective gained over 22,000 followers shortly after the episode it was featured in premiered (the most of any brands featured in the show at the time), according to Metricool. “Not only did the show inspire people to sell like [Ashley Park’s character] Mindy, it also triggered purchases on the platform,” Vestiaire CEO Fanny Moizant told Vogue Business at the time.
But just because products can still sell when a placement isn’t seamless doesn’t mean brands shouldn’t endeavor to make it so. In the era of the endless scroll, people watch film and television to escape the feeling of being ‘sold to’ that permeates so much of short-form content. The integration of branded products must avoid this sense. “Product placement only really works when it reflects something true about the character or the moment,” Walia says. “When it does, it becomes part of culture. When it doesn’t, it just feels like advertising pretending to be storytelling.”
This season, Emily in Paris took things one step further, bringing the brands that feature in on-screen storylines into its off-screen promotional world. Ahead of Thursday’s premiere, while promoting the show on Jimmy Fallon, Lily Collins stepped out in a slip dress from Fendi’s fall 1997 collection — with a bright red Fendi Baguette in tow. Later, Collins swapped out the look for a second Fendi outfit from its resort 2026 collection. Sure, at the time, onlookers didn’t know these outfits would take on new significance once the brand’s role in the show became apparent. Both Fendi and Netflix knew all too well.
Looking ahead to 2026, we’ll be on the lookout for which products feature when shows such as Stranger Things, Bridgerton and Industry return to our screens later this month and in January. Or rather, we’ll be hoping not to clock them at all.
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