"Due Date" Gives Subaru a Little Love

And Subaru loves them back. In this day and age of product placement, last-week's new release "Due Date" featuring Zach Galifianakis and Robert Downey Jr was no exception. However, unlike appearance of iphone, Macbooks and Range Rovers that were prevalent in the script, the casting of the characters' Subaru rental car was not a monetary agreement. A Subaru spokesman confirmed that while the use of the 2011 Impreza was a result of Subaru's direct involvement, no money changed hands. This is typical of Subaru as they do not usually pay for placements (for example, the use of a Subaru Outback in NBC's "The Office").

Many companies that allow their products to appear in film have stringent limitations on how they can be used; for example, in the James Bond movie "The World is Not Enough", BMW would not allow their Z8 to be used in crashes or other 'negative' scenes. However, it seems that this was not the case with Subaru; the car is featured in a spectacular crash, along with several 'lewd' scenes. A Subaru spokesman actually took the crash in a positive light, citing their long history of being a IIHS Top Safety pick with all of their vehicle lineup.


All in all, even without the Subaru love, "Due Date" is certainly a must-see movie... though we're happy that they were driving a Subaru when they got in their accident. Otherwise, the credits would have been rolling far too soon.