Brands on FIlm - Thinktank

Brands on Film -
View from the Audience
A Feature Presentation by Thinktank International Research

Our Brief:
Investigate the audience point of view…
“How they experience brands creating/supporting filmic content?”
“How do they judge this type of content?”
“How do they delineate it against traditional advertising?”
“How do they see the roles of the brands vs the content?”

The Programme
5 workshops with groups of friends aged 18-25
3 x creative
2x more mainstream
+ supplementary analysis of YouTube comments

Content Choice
All:
brands supporting or creating original content
involvement going beyond ‘just’ sponsorship or product placement
content longer than 30’
mainly distributed outside the ad break/TV
Absolut/
Spike Jonze
Levi’s
Peroni/
G Muccino
Lagerfeld/
Hogan
Nokia/
Aardman
LG/
Ridley Scott

Plus…
Hovis
Cadbury

Key Findings
The audience receives this content both as entertainment and as marketing effort

“Advertising” meets “art” - a new blurring of boundaries
- needs getting used to, can be hard to categorise

There can be real appreciation:
Intrigue, originality, subtlety cleverness, sophistication, generosity

But…can also be seen more critically
“I think they are being quite…cleverly …sneaky”
Commerce taking over/appropriating ‘art’?

The Difference vs Advertising
Ads
Expect to be ‘sold to’ -
Enjoyment is a bonus’
Filmic Content:
Expect to be ‘given something’ -
enjoyment sine qua non +
‘being sold to’ could be
a let down and needs to be
lifted by enjoyment

So… where does that leave the brands - what roles would consumer like them to play?
Need to respect the content
Need to take themselves back - but arguably not too far

Our audience does seek a connection…
“You wonder …why does a Vodka company sponsor this film?”
which needs to feel authentic and credible, though can be a bit surprising or tongue-in-cheek

The Future?

Audience will become more familiar with brands in film as genres and formats grow up
Some very successful examples likely to emerge that will reach wider audiences
Continuing holy grail will be for brands to make an impact whilst respecting content
Ways forward?
Keep formats very short and hope for viral success?
Make MORE of collaborations, ATL, BTL and/or experiential?
Get creative consumers themselves involved and build advocacy
Build a reputation for supporting a certain kind of film?

Written and directed by Sabine Stork
Edited by Sam Shellie
sabine.stork@thinktank.uk.com
www.twitter.com/thinktank_int
With apologies to Robert Wiene, Fritz Lang, FW Murnau, Hiroshu Sugimoto et al

Brands on FIlm - Thinktank

by brand-e on Oct 25, 2010

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Brands on FIlm - Thinktank — Presentation Transcript