What better way to mark the triumphant team-up of Marvel’s greatest superheroes than to crowbar them into a commercial for a mortgage loans company?
This nauseating slice of Avengers: Infinity War cross-promotional guff is intended to be the sharp end of what’s described as “a fully integrated campaign which involves additional co-branded content.” And if language like that doesn’t rev your motor, then just wait until you hear the garbage spewing out of Casey Hurbis, Chief Marketing Officer for the company:
“By teaming up with Marvel Studios’ ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, we are not only able to produce fun, energetic and creative content, but the campaign also provides Rocket Mortgage a strong opportunity to connect with current and future homebuyers. Rocket Mortgage is the best platform for consumers to be Super-Hero-level confident when buying a home.”
Apparently, we’re also to look forward to there being a bit of mortgage company product placement inside the movie itself. Presumably, this will come when some monster knocks down Stark Tower and Tony looks straight into the camera and says, “Thank God I’m signed up for Rocket Mortgages with Quicken Loans. The loans company that lets me be Super-Hero-Level confident!”
Mindy Hamilton, Marvel’s Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships & Marketing also opened her mouth on the matter, and this came out:
“This campaign is about embracing confidence and feeling empowered, just like our heroes do. It’s easy to be envious of the super powers that we see in the film, but Rocket Mortgage is reminding us in a fun way that we have tools at our disposal to conquer whatever obstacles lie ahead. We’re excited to welcome everyone into this new little pocket of our universe.”
I mean, I get it. You don’t make a major blockbuster without some level of corporate tie-ins and product placement. But there’s something weirdly icky about Marvel Studios teaming up with a loans company – especially one that’s currently being sued by the US Justice Department for filing false claims on government-insured mortgages and accused of defrauding American taxpayers of millions of dollars.
Who knows, though, perhaps Avengers 4 will see Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America and the gang going into battle alongside their buddies at Goldman Sachs?
