Product Placement in Home Alone: Real Brands, Real Nostalgia

Watching these movies today feels like walking into a ’90s time capsule. Between all the booby traps and screaming burglars, there’s a ton of real stuff that shows up on screen. Stuff you’d find in an average American home back then. Real brands. Real snacks. Real toys. Some of it was probably in your house, too.

Table of Contents

🏠 Home Alone (1990)

This is the one that started it all. Released in 1990, Home Alone became a holiday favorite almost overnight. Directed by Chris Columbus, the film starred Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an 8-year-old boy who is left behind while his family flies to Paris. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern play the unlucky burglars he battles.

This movie was such a hit, it became the highest-grossing live-action comedy ever at the time.

You’ll find a ton of real-life products sprinkled throughout the movie-some obvious, some quick.

Woman’s Day Magazine Held by Macaulay Culkin (Kevin McCallister)

Wilson Basketball, Chicago Bulls Sticker and Epyx Head-On Football Board Game

Shower to Shower and Aquafresh Toothpaste

Planters Peanuts, Ultra Pampers Plus and Puffs Au Prailne Candies

Ultra Pampers Plus and Puffs Au Prailne Candies in Home Alone (1990)

Playboy Magazine and Toyota Truck Advertising

Kraft Marshmallows, Hershey’s Syrup and Reddi-wip

Junior Mints, Crunch Tators and Toyota Magazine Advertising

Junior Mints, Crunch Tators, Twinkies and Playboy Magazine

Emerson TV Remote

Chicago Bulls Basketball Team

Budget Truck Rental

BellSouth Products Telephone

Adidas Shoes Worn by Macaulay Culkin (Kevin McCallister)

Quilted Northern & Tropicana

Tropicana and Tide

Tide Laundry Detergent and Frigidaire Washer

Tic Tac

Shower to Shower

Pepsi Soda

Panasonic Clocks

Nikon Photo Camera

Wonder Bread, Kraft Mac & Cheese and Quilted Northern

Wonder Bread, Kraft and Quilted Northern – Home Alone (1990)

Koho Hockey Stick

JVC TV

Frito-Lay Crunch Tators Chips & Pepsi

Emerson VCR

Emerson TV

Colgate Plus Toothbrush

American Airlines

🗽 Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

Kevin’s back. This time, he gets on the wrong plane and ends up in New York City-alone again. Same director, same cast, bigger city. Donald Trump even pops up for a few seconds at The Plaza Hotel. The Talkboy, originally a prop, became a real product because of this movie’s popularity.

Zenith TV

Talkboy Portable Variable-Speed Cassette Player And Recorder Used by Macaulay Culkin (Kevin McCallister)

Lincoln Town Car Stretched Limousine Used by Macaulay Culkin (Kevin McCallister)

Chicago Sun-Times Newspaper

Canon, Aiwa, Suntory Whisky, Coca-Cola, JVC and Sbarro Pizzeria

Avis Rent a Car Brochure Held by Catherine O’Hara (Kate McCallister)

American Airlines Ticket and Naturipe Farms Boxes

VISA

Wenger Knife of Macaulay Culkin as Kevin

The Plaza Hotel

Symphonic VCR

RCA TV

Polaroid Photo Camera

Fruit Stripe Gum

Emerson Clocks

Emerson TV

Coca-Cola

Chanel Store

Bergdorf Goodman

American Airlines

🧒 Home Alone 3 (1997)

No more Kevin. This time we meet Alex Pruitt, played by Alex D. Linz. The story shifts to spies, secret microchips, and suburb defense… again. It’s still in the spirit of the first two, just with new faces. Directed by Raja Gosnell. Scarlett Johansson plays Alex’s sister in one of her earliest roles.

Zenith TV