When you think of product placement, what comes to mind? Do you think of “Wilson,” the volleyball-turned-companion to Tom Hanks’s Castaway character? The Reese’s Pieces Spielberg used to lure the titular E.T. out of his hiding place? What about the lace-less Nike shoes that Marty McFly drooled over in Back to the Future? If you’re like most people, the products that stood out most were those that enjoyed real interaction with the movie characters. Whether on film or in print, the power of product images proves intriguing to creative and businesses alike. Doug Davis, owner of D² Studios in Dallas, explains the important relationship between product and lifestyle photography.

Product Photography vs Lifestyle Photography

In terms of the benefits to your business, it’s hard to quantify the two styles. Each has its merits, and each is appropriate in certain scenarios. As a commercial photographer and videographer, Doug’s expertise allows him to choose a combination of the two styles that will have maximum impact on the viewer. Product photography highlights the physical attributes of your product, whether you’re promoting luxury goods, medical equipment, or cookware. Lighting, angles, and composition combine to create a powerful image of which your product is the focus. Effective lifestyle photography doesn’t compete with product photography—it complements it. Lifestyle photography captures a glimpse of someone actually interacting with your product. We’re not talking about images of an airbrushed model holding your product on a gleaming silver platter while standing in front of a solid background. This is about a moment captured for posterity. There’s an action—playing, enjoying, eating, wearing, caressing, languishing. You get the idea.

The Importance of Interaction

Doug believes that an artful combination of product and lifestyle photography creates an effect that is greater than the sum of its two parts. Going back to the concept of product placement in movies, consider the results of a study published in the International Journal of Advertising. Researchers concluded that the effectiveness of product placement is directly related to the degree of engagement between a character and the product—what the researchers described as using vs showing. They found that static displays in which the product was not touched, moved, or used had virtually no effect on viewers’ intent to purchase, nor did it improve awareness or recognition. When characters interacted with products on screen, however, the results were favorable. This is critical to the success of your commercial videography project.

True, digital and print images lack the physical movement of an image on film. However, the implications for product and lifestyle photography cannot be overlooked. Any way you view it, engagement and a sense of purpose create a stronger impression of your brand and its products.

How do you want to be remembered? Doug Davis, an award-winning creative photographer in Dallas, TX, has the experience and insight needed to give your product and brand a memorable, alluring image. For more information aitibout videography and commercial photography at D² Studios, contact us at 214-746-6336. To keep up with Doug’s latest news and projects, follow us on Facebook.