Sorry, Roger Ebert, Nivea Really Does Own New Year's Eve

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Roger Ebert did not enjoy the new Gary Marshall holiday movie New Year's Eve. In fact, he called it a "dreary plod." But of all his many problems with the film, the one that upsets him the most is the way the movie depicts Times Square before the ball drops as a giant advertisement for Nivea. Ebert writes:

You know those tens of thousands of people in Times Square? Are more than half of them usually wearing foam hats given to them by some company? Because in "New Year's Eve," we look out over the surging throng of ecstatic celebrants, and the sea of humanity is blue. They're all wearing freebie hats from Nivea skin creme. No hats for the Knicks, Budweiser or I Heart New York. All Nivea skin creme. Countless hats of Nivea blue. I've heard of product placement, but this is carpet bombing.

Here's the thing, though: That's actually what Times Square looks like on New Year's Eve. Nivea even refers to the effect as its "signature 'sea of blue.'" Not that that makes the movie any better—or the blatant shilling any less egregious—but hey, at least it's accurate.
· New Year's Eve [Roger Ebert]
· Nivea Sponsors Times Square Ball Drop For Third Year [MediaPost]

Times Square

42nd Street and Broadway New York NY