Answer: Hershey’s Chocolate

The first well known recognized instance of product placement in a Hollywood film is in the Academy Award winning silent film Wings. The film, released in 1927, follows the love triangle of two World War I fighter pilot friends who fall in love with the same woman. A minor role, but significant to our trivia here, belonged to one Hershey’s Chocolate bar, which appeared prominently in a scene midway through the movie.

In addition to being the first well known film with notable product placement, Wings also has the distinction of being the first winner in the category of Academy Award for Best Picture, and the only silent film to ever win the award.