Branded entertainment refers to integrating brands into entertainment content. It began in the late 19th century with product placements in paintings and films. Today most branded entertainment spending goes to television and film placements, though brands are increasingly creating their own web series and films. There is debate around commercialism versus realism as brands also find their way into novels, comics, music and other media. New digital platforms may change advertising models and open opportunities for more branded content.

1. branded
entertainment
conference
johannesburg
march 2010

2. branded entertainment is the integration
of a product or a brand into a piece of
entertainment

3. branded content is when the brand
becomes or provides the entertainment

4. “branded content is original programming
that a brand owns rather than rents, and the
storyline or the program subject matter
emanates from the brand dna.”
doug scott
executive director
branded content
ogilvy & mather

5. Branded entertainment in the late 19th century? Edouard Manet’s 1882 painting of the bar
at the Folies-Bergère clearly favours Bass beer over other beverages by showing its label.

6. In the 1890s La Diaphane powder advertised that performer Sarah Bernhardt wore their
product on stage.

7. The brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière included Sunlight soap in certain films made in
1896.

8. At the beginning of the 20th century, Model T Fords were included in the comedies of
Mack Sennett and were listed in the credits of the movies.

9. 137 72
102 66
93 63
75 57
73 53
most placed brands in major commercial films 2001 - 2010

11. South African publisher NB Publishers has featured a number of their world-famous authors
in a popular television series.

14. Clip from Casino Royale showing the Omega watch placement. Widely regarded as one of
the most forced product placements.

15. 9
6,75
4,5
2,25
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Actual & Projected Increase in Global Product Placement in USD Billions
(Extrapolated Projections from PQ Media Research)

16. photo by tambako the jaguar
The lion’s share of product placement spend still goes to television and film. America is the
main market for product placement, but the practice is growing elsewhere.

17. things are changing

18. Video of the director’s cut of Nike’s Take it to the Next Level, one of a new crop of short
branded content films. Next slide shows photos from short films by Chanel and Lux.

20. The BMW series of branded content films introduced the concept of short, entertaining
films made by brands and delivered primarily via the Internet.

21. photo by matthew

22. photo by onkel wart
supremacy of the 30”ad gone
exponential growth of online video
changed media landscape

23. so brands started to create their own
content, known as webisodes, to advertise
around, reviving a strategy from the early
days of radio and television

24. Easy to Assemble is a web series created for Ikea by actress Illeana Douglas and garnered
over 5 million views in its second series. Features a host of well-known actors.

26. Dove adapted the Ugly Betty television series for the Chinese market and created Ugly
Wudi taking the concept of branded content to new heights.

27. would they be building video games today?

30. photo by Вася Артёмов

31. “(takes a) Chanel lip
palette from her Louis
Vuitton clutch”
“(like) Pierce Brosnan
in an Armani suit”
“consults her platinum
Cartier watch that hung
delicately on her
slender wrist”
“effortlessly lifted a
case of Budweiser”
Brands are also finding their ways into the story lines of novels.

32. debate whether realism or
commercial opportunism

33. Bulgari admitted to paying Fay Weldon to heavily feature their brand in her 2001 book, which
even incorporated the brand into the title.

35. Building on its short film series, in 2006 BMW commissioned writers to produce short stories
featuring their cars.

36. Supa Strikas is a soccer-themed comic that prints 1.4 million copies per month in 16 countries.
Brands are inserted into the comic frames and use story characters in ads.

39. insert brand here
(with or without
brand’s consent)
photo by selva

40. Cars and alcoholic drinks often feature by name in rap music emerging from the United States.

42. Brands featured unwillingly in rap music can be a double edged sword, with musicians either
praising or criticizing the brand.

43. UK government to allow limited commercial product
placement on British television for the first time and is
expected to bring in $100 million in first year - 16
September 2009
Publicis Worldwide, noting the increase in branded
entertainment, launches London-based branded-
entertainment division - 5 October 2009
News Corp, following lead of other broadcasters,
creates Fox Digital Studios to focus on branded
programming - 19 October 2009

44. but not everyone
is happy with the
concept of branded
entertainment
Photo by Darwin Bell

45. Electronic reader and computer tablets are going to change how content is delivered,
throwing the current advertising model out of the window. Branded content offers a solution.

46. Trailer of the upcoming movie The Joneses were products are inserted into the lives of a fake
family essentially creating a branded experience for their “friends and neighbours”.

47. patrick collings
sagacite
e: patrick@sagacite.co.za
m: +27 (0)83 616 0967
w: www.sagacite.co.za
b: www.collings.co.za
t: pjcollings (follow me on twitter)