Brand Placement

Product placement during films and TV shows is a well-established practice, satirized quite brilliantly in The Truman Show movie. Unbeknown to the central character Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey), his world is actually a set for a continually rolling television show. With no time for commercial breaks everything from kitchen utensils to cans of drink are unashamedly promoted through clumsy, unsubtle product endorsement.

While product placement in films and TV can be at the more subtle end to the more blatant, this sort of advertising rarely gets in the way of enjoying a show. But product placement on the internet has not been subtly incorporated on websites. Instead, the internet has pesky pop-ups, which irritate and get in the way.

But, it seems that online brand placement is moving in a more subtle direction, and could potentially become a more mainstream way to advertise brands online. MirriAd, an embedded advertising provider, has invented technology which can insert images into content without any disruption to viewers. This technology has been used to produce an advert for the new Will Ferrell movie, Semi Pro. The film name has been introduced in various places during some online showbiz coverage of the Brits, produced by ITN On (a division of ITN, which publishes content onto broadband, radio and mobile platforms.) The Semi Pro name appears on the side of a taxi and on a clipboard, but is not mentioned by the presenter.

You can see the Semi Pro brand placement by clicking on the link below:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RvPCLLoognU

This type of branding can be embedded into any kind of digital content, and is being trialled at the moment. For online this could be a new way to promote without the fear that the viewer will just click off. Let us what you think.

Pepsi Raw: Ruth Mortimer on CNN

Brand Strategy’s editor Ruth Mortimer appeared this week on CNN to discuss the launch of Pepsi Raw, a new ‘natural’ variant of the drink being rolled out initially in the UK.

You can see it here.

Digital agency map and seven predictions for the online future of marketing, society and pretty much everything

Sorry folks if this link appears to be broken. The agency concerned didn’t want us to post their material, so we have taken it down along with links to their site etc. We’ll delete this post totally in a few days…..

Cultures of commodity branding

After our mention of it on the Brand Strategy newsletter this month, here is a little view of the poster for the event ‘Cultures of commodity branding’ or you can check it out below. An interesting take on branding for those people interested in some of the roots of branding or its use as a cultural tool in history and prehistory. You can view Dr David Wengrow’s article on the topic here too.

Short Film Discovery

Discovery Networks EMEA has completed a project that aims to give its brand new definition through short documentary films of a thought-provoking nature. Taking advantage of fresh young film-making talent from around the world, the factual entertainment channel has come up with some true-to-life captivating stories that tell cultural stories with a twist.

Short film content created by the brand includes ‘Whistlers’ which tells a story of the inhabitants of the island of La Gomera that only communicate through whistling. Another film is Applause, which, structured around rhythmic clapping sequences, explores the enduring expression of human approval.
With a wider strategy set on expansion and growth, Discovery says its aim is to deliver high-quality programming that will appeal to a wide audience. James Gilbey, Discovery Networks EMEA Creative Director said: “Discovery is all about powerful and real story telling that engages and challenges our audience.” Discovery Shorts vary in length, from 30 to 120 seconds and will air between scheduled programming.

Exclusive blog article: Mastercard’s Sponsorship of The Brits

Tomorrow night (20th February), the Brit Awards music show takes place in London. Financial brand Mastercard has been associated with the event for 10 years. We asked Ben Rhodes, who looks after marketing for the Brit Awards as part of his remit at Mastercard, about the partnership.

We asked for insights into how corporate brands can be associated with entertainment or other industries successfully. Ben reveals his experiences and tips here:

Brand Strategy: What does a financial brand like Mastercard get out of being associated with The Brits?

Ben Rhodes: A lot of it is about awareness and positive associations with the event and our brand. But that’s only one thing really. It’s about the pass-through rights we can negotiate because we’ve been associated with the event for about 10 years. We can free up a lot of assets to use with our customers and banks. So one of the most important things we do around The Brits is create various money-can’t-buy experiences. We use it as an incentive really to make sure the Mastercard brand is used by people more and more often.

Brand Strategy: So do you see The Brits sponsorship as part of your longrunning ‘Priceless’ advertising campaign? Are you aiming to take ‘Priceless’ further than the TV screen into branded experiences?

Ben Rhodes: ‘Priceless’ currently works best in advertising; we haven’t really taken it outside that remit. But ‘Priceless’ works on an insight about what really matters to people; it says it’s not about how you use your card in terms of the purchases you make, it’s the experiences you have.

So when we look at The Brits, we’re just thinking about what matters to people. Music and entertainment is really important for our core audience. So in terms of how we tie ‘Priceless’ into people’s lives, it is about giving them access and if we can give them enjoyment too, I suppose that does play into the ‘Priceless’ promise.

Brand Strategy: What can you do on the event night itself to bring out the brand values of Mastercard beyond just putting your logo on everything?

Ben Rhodes: At the basic level, we do have a great composite logo which is slapped on everything so our name’s in there. But we work incredibly closely with the BPI, which arranges The Brits. It’s a music industry association so all the retailers and record companies are there too – we get to sit on those tables and have a voice. So to some degree, we help shape the show, although we only have one vote out of many.

We try to make sure with the BPI that the show fits our brand. We have lots of conversations about the presenters and the line-up. We’re very intimately involved.

We’re also using the show itself this year to showcase products. Every person who gets a ticket to The Brits will also receive a PayPass-enabled prepaid card with £10 on it. We’ve installed terminals at a couple of the bars and some booths that are there, so people can buy a couple of free drinks or a Brits album on a USB stick. It’s a way of integrating our product in there without being too invidious. It’s a good method of getting our more innovative stuff out there.

Brand Strategy: What do you do beyond the event evening to market the partnership?

Ben Rhodes: We also have the broadcast sponsorship for The Brits so we try to make that as contemporary as possible. This year, we have the ‘Priceless Dance-off’ which is going to be featured in the idents. This dance contest been promoted online through a microsite. It’s funny and quite ‘Priceless’ too as we auditioned 600 people and got them down to just five who will star in the idents on the night. You can vote for the winner and see a ‘making-of’ film. We’re conscious not to create ‘an event within an event’ but there’s scope to bring out the partnership more with this kind of thing.

In the past, we’ve had ‘Priceless Evenings’ with some of the artists performing at them. Some of those have been televised. This year, we haven’t really gone for that. Working with ITV, they decided there needed to be two main shows – the Brits Are Coming and the Awards – with follow-ups maybe on the digital channels.

So this year, we chose to use the dance-off idea from ‘Priceless dancer’ as the key theme really. We’ve also got a dance-off bus which has been touring around London, where people can come and do their own dance-off, win tickets to The Brits, various radio stations have come down…so we do a lot of stuff like that.

We also worked with Amazon this year, helping them sell more products by offering Brits tickets and prizes. So we do a lot of work but it can be hard to nail a programme leading directly to people making purchases as The Brits is not really a retail concept as such.

Brand Strategy: As a brand owner, you have to be careful not to be associated with the wrong things – particularly in the conservative world of finance. Have you ever had to step in to prevent the show taking a wrong turn for your brand?

Ben Rhodes: That’s largely the BPI’s expertise but we did come across this situation when discussing the potential line-up a couple of years ago. It’s normally less about “oh no, do you think that person is too dangerous?” and more “don’t you think that person is quite dull?” From our perspective, we want to get as much out of this as possible, which means wanting people to actually watch the show!

Brand Strategy: What have you learned from the 10 year association with The Brits? What tips would you give other marketing directors about creating successful sponsorships?

Ben Rhodes: Use it as a strategic platform and a tool to drive your marketing programmes. It shouldn’t be a standalone event but weaved into all your communications activity. At its most fundamental level, that’s what sponsorships should do. You also need to think about how to leverage the partnership beyond a single event.

Another tip is that you can never plan too early; we’re already thinking about 2009. The Brits is different as it’s one night whereas most sponsorships are longer than that, but it does mean we need quite a big build-up programme. So we really have to tie everything up early so we can extract as much value as you can.

Don’t think about just awareness and positive associations; they should come if you have the right partnership in place. Ask yourself: how will this drive my business and create a preference for my product above and beyond anyone else?

YOUR VIEWS, READER: What do you think of the Mastercard and The Brits association? Any tips for good sponsorship partnerships?

 

 

Dogside: the hot new boy band (for canines?)

We are very much enjoying this new video for ‘dog boy band’ introduced by Zag, the innovation and brand creation unit of ad agency BBH, singing a heartfelt song for Valentine’s Day (or Valentine’s Season as we heard one opportunistic brand call it last year….).

Dogside already have a range of merchandise, like every hot new band:

• The Dogside Lead: A stylish 90 cm black lead with an electroluminescent blue thread running through it. This makes it perfect for a night walk during the winter months. A contoured, vulcanised rubber handle makes it easier to take control of your pet while dodging traffic and pedestrians on the city streets. Priced at £25.

• The Dogside Jacket: This waterproof jacket with easy velcro fastenings is the ultimate in performance outer wear and will not only ensure a dog is this season’s style leader but importantly it will stop him getting wet and muddy during walks in the park. Available in XS, S, M and L for £30. There are no more excuses for owners on rainy days.

• The Dogside Bowl: So you thought that a bowl was just a bowl – well not this one. Not only does this bowl look super cool with its branded black outer bowl but it is also designed with a stainless steel removable inner bowl for easy cleaning; rubberised feet so it stays put when your dog is munching; and cut away handles making it easier to pick up. Priced at £15.

• The Dogside Scarf: A chic scarf to keep warm and be the coolest dog in the park. The scarf is durable woven acrylic with black and grey strips and a super-soft black fleece lining. The scarf already has a loop built in to make it easy to slip onto your dog. Available for £10 in two sizes– Small 46cm x 5cm (for necks up to 35cm) or Large 70cm x 8cm (for necks up to 55cm).

Watch the video here:

Credits:
Agency: BBH London
Creative Team: Dean Woodhouse & Hugo Bierschenk
Creative Director: John O’Keeffe
Agency Producer: Angela Zabala
Production Company: Thomas Thomas
Director: Albert

Mobile TV research – key findings

Mobile TV use is set to rise due to consumer demand according to a study conducted by international news broadcaster CNN, and telecoms company Ericsson. The consumer behaviour research unveiled at 3GSM in Barcelona shows that more than a third (34%) of respondents rank TV as the most in-demand application and almost half (44%) of respondents are looking to adopt mobile TV within the next couple of years.

Other statistics from the report show that:

Photo technology is the most popular application with 57% of respondents using it every month to send and receive messages. CNN says the 50,000 submissions of mobile phone footage and images in the first 12 months of the launch of user generated content service, iReport, show consumers are hungry for this technology.

One in four (24%) of those who currently watch mobile TV do so daily, with around half watching mobile TV on a weekly basis. News tops the poll as the most watched genre on mobile TV (77%), with just under half watching scheduled television.

Jan Wäreby, senior vice president and head of business unit multimedia at Ericsson predicts that mobile TV is set to emerge as a popular service within the next few years.

Window displays that are good enough to eat

Following our feature on scent and sensory marketing, which you can read in the latest edition of Brand Strategy, we’ve discovered that Harrods is running a campaign all about the senses. Over sixty window displays have been dressed with props such as giant strawberries and champagne bottles to engage with passersby through hearing, sight, taste, touch and smell. The displays conceptualised by the Harrods creative team and realised by Elemental Design are all about getting customers to experience the store and its products through the senses. We especially like the strawberries and chocolate display. One of the oversized strawberries is attached to the outside of the window, and filled with lollies that customers can take away. Yum yum!

Connecting London

Nokia is celebrating the opening of its inaugural UK flagship store by launching a campaign aiming to show how Londoners connect with each other. The Meet London exhibition will be unveiled at the store on February 8th in Regent Street, London. The firm is hoping that over 5000 Londoners will take part in the initiative to map the city through a series of portraits.

Famous Londoners will be fronting the exhibition and their portraits will be displayed in store. Rapper Dizzee Rascal, actress Jaime Winstone, footballer Darren Bent, and celebrity photographer Rankin, will feature in the campaign developed by advertising agency Wieden & Kennedy. Their portraits will form part of a chain showing their connections with other Londoners.

Members of the public are also being encouraged to take part by introducing a friend via the campaign website: www.meet-your-city.com or via Bluetooth in the flagship store. A selection of the portraits submitted will be shown in store.