Brands typically come in expecting to be able to measure branded entertainment the same way as traditional ads, and the metrics are lagging. "We're the division everyone gets excited about."ĭoing brand work isn't risk-free. Resistance subsided after Anonymous got filmmaker Olivia Wilde of "Booksmart" fame to direct a short film for HP in 2020, "Wake Up." Today, he said, The Lab is one of Anonymous' fastest-growing units. "How is this not going to be just a long commercial?" was the attitude, he said. Getting talent to sign on was hard at first, said Zac Ryder, cofounder of The Lab. It also has made films for the likes of Adobe, IBM, and WhatsApp through its 5-year-old division, The Lab. Production and management company Anonymous Content has produced such films as "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and Oscar winner "Spotlight" and reps A-listers like Samuel L. (Brand films are often unscripted and thus aren't governed by the Hollywood unions.) They also see brand work being a positive for below-the-line workers who are idled by the work stoppage.Īnd artistic talent that might have grimaced at the idea of making what they considered a long commercial has come around. Some are also looking to brand films to offset some of the revenue they're losing in the dual Hollywood strikes. Producers say marketer dollars help them make and sell more projects, whether by helping them get a great writer or fund a sizzle reel. The money is welcome at a time when streamers are trimming their content budgets. "In the past year, we've had a half a dozen incoming calls from brands asking, 'What is our version of "Air" and how should we be thinking about it?'" said Marc Gilbar, who runs the brand division at Imagine Entertainment, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's production company. Brand dollars to the rescueĭriving the interest is that while traditional ads are losing their efficacy, marketers are seeing high-profile examples of films about brands airing on big streamers like Netflix and Amazon. 'Barbie' is another validation of this." Only a small subset of production companies have the capabilities to deliver on this promise, though, he added. "There is a recognition that great stories can be told with and inspired by a brand's purpose. "Hollywood creatives are taking more of an interest in working with brands than ever before on the development of premium content," said Julian Jacobs, UTA partner and co-head of UTA's entertainment marketing arm. Many have hired people from the ad agency world who speak the language of marketers, and some are actively courting Madison Avenue. They run a spectrum, from producers like Ben Silverman who have been doing brand work for a decade or more, to more recent arrivals like Issa Rae's Hoorae Media and Kevin Hart's Hartbeat, which started branded content studios in the past year. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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