Imagine watching your favorite movie while being abroad, and by favorite movie I mean the one you know by heart. Every line, every frame, every scene is something you can describe woken up in the middle of the night. However, during this watch, something is different, a scene you’ve seen thousands of times now seems a bit off. Are you watching a director’s cut? An extended version? Nope. You have just witnessed the phenomenon of films that have been modified to suit different countries and cultures. Sometimes those changes are minuscule, other times they change the scene altogether. In this blog post, I will focus on those movies that wanted to be culturally relevant. The question I want to leave you with is “What if ads were like that”? 

The first time when I realized that production studios cater to the needs of various nations was during a screening of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In one particular scene, Steve Rogers keeps a notebook of things he needs to catch up on since he was frozen for nearly 70 years. The scene shows him adding “Troubleman” by Marvin Gaye to his list after Sam Wilson (Falcon) recommends it. The surprise was that while watching the film in the United Kingdom his list contained entries like Sean Connery and the 1966 World Cup that famously England won. Wait a minute! Why would Americans care about that fact, when football (or as they call it – soccer) isn’t popular there at all? It turns out that Marvel Studios customized this list for different international audiences, making the scene feel more personal for viewers worldwide.

Depending on where the movie was shown, the contents of Cap’s notebook changed to include local pop culture references, historical events, and icons relevant to that country. It turns out that the South Korean version of the list had the movie Oldboy on it, while the Mexican audience noticed a mention of their famous sitcom El Chavo del Ocho. That gave me the idea to look up other movies that while going global focused on the local vibe.

I quickly realized that this savvy technique is used more than anybody of us realized. In Zootopia there’s a scene featuring a news broadcast where two anchors report on events in the city. One of these anchors is a different animal depending on the country where the film was released! In the United States and Canada, the anchor was a moose, reflecting North America’s wildlife. Australia and New Zealand have a koala, an iconic native animal. In China, the news anchor was a panda, a beloved national symbol, while in Japan, it was a tanuki (raccoon dog), an animal with deep cultural significance. Brazil featured a jaguar, a creature native to the Amazon, and in France, the role was given to a red deer, commonly found in European forests. This subtle localization helped make Zootopia feel more immersive and relatable for audiences worldwide.  

There’s another, even older, example of an animated movie that wanted to be relevant around the world. In Inside Out, Pixar made several clever localization changes to ensure the film resonated with different cultures. In a scene where young Riley refuses to eat her vegetables, the original U.S. version features broccoli, which many American children dislike. However, since broccoli is commonly eaten and enjoyed by children in Japan, Pixar changed it to green bell peppers, which are more widely disliked by Japanese kids. Another scene in the film shows Riley’s father daydreaming while watching a sports game on TV. In the U.S. and Canada, where hockey is a popular sport, the screen displays a hockey match. However, in countries where soccer (football) is more dominant, such as much of Europe and Latin America, Pixar swapped the footage to show a soccer match instead. 

I have mentioned before that this idea would be great for advertising and you know who also thought it was an interesting concept? The creators of Demolition Man! One scene involving a restaurant was changed for international audiences due to brand recognition differences. In the film’s dystopian future, all restaurants have been replaced by Taco Bell, which is said to have won the “Franchise Wars.”

The characters visit a high-end version of the fast-food chain, where the once-casual eatery has been transformed into an upscale dining establishment. This was intended as a humorous exaggeration of corporate dominance and brand loyalty. At the time of the film’s release in 1993, Taco Bell was not well-known outside North America, particularly in Europe and Asia. The filmmakers worried that non-American audiences would not understand the joke or recognize the brand. To fix this, they replaced all visual references to Taco Bell with Pizza Hut, a brand that had wider international recognition. 

At Adspepctive we have taken this idea and gone way further with it. Our solution – Dynamic Virtual Product Placement (DVPP) – is all about integrating products into digital content after it’s been created, allowing brands to target specific audiences with personalized ads in real-time. Unlike traditional product placement, DVPP uses advanced AI and machine learning to insert products into movies and TV shows ensuring relevance to different regions or demographics. This innovative approach not only enhances viewer engagement by making ads feel natural and non-disruptive but also offers brands unparalleled flexibility and precision in reaching their target audiences. Let’s show a bottle of Bud Light to the American audience, a pint of Guinness to the British, and a Paulaner to the Germans – all in the same scene! If you’re looking to stay ahead in the advertising game, DVPP is the future-forward solution you need. 

So, next time you’re watching your favorite movie and notice something just slightly different, don’t blame it on déjà vu – it might just be the magic of localization at work. From Cap’s notebook to Zootopia’s news anchors, the world of entertainment is getting smarter about making content feel personal, no matter where you are. And with Dynamic Virtual Product Placement, we’re taking that idea to the next level, turning ads into seamless, culturally relevant moments that feel like they were made just for you. Because let’s face it: in a world where even broccoli gets a makeover, why shouldn’t advertising? Ready to make your brand the star of the show? DVPP is here to steal the scene – no director’s cut is required. Lights, camera, action!