Dive Brief:
- The video game Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V), on track to be the most popular game of all time, is set in a scarily realistic parody of Los Angeles that includes parodies of many major brands.
- In Los Santos, the game's locale, players will can run into a 24/7 (7-Eleven) and buy a Sprunk (Sprite). Game players can also eat at an Up-n-Atom Burger (In-and-Out Burger), a Cluckin' Bell (KFC) or a Taco Bomb (Taco Bell).
- While the retail and food parodies seem pretty harmless, the game's parodies of tech companies are a bit more unflattering. The "Friend Request" mission sends players out to kill Jay Norris, the founder of Lifeinvader (Facebook), and the event is broadcast on Weasel (Fox) News.
Dive Insight:
Some say that parody is a high form of flattery. To some extent, that is true because a parody in a game of this stature really proves a brand has influence on culture. Even with the unflattering parodies, the brands can't do much about it as parody is protected by the First Amendment. It's best for the brands to just accept the flattery and embrace the likenesses.