Ever wondered what the TV or Radio term 'Soap opera' stands for?
"a television or radio drama serial dealing typically with daily events in the lives of the same group of characters".
Back in the 1950's this is how brands become 'influencers' or put another way subtle product placement as an advert. Soap companies would sponsor a TV or Radio show for series of programmes.
TV and Radio companies would come up with the storyline and if the 'Soap' brands liked them they would sponsor a pilot episode, if the pilot worked well they would continue to fund the sponsorship part.
It seems that people liked 'stories' they could relate to - how interesting!!!
This was just another way for a brand to ensure it was seen to be 'front of mind' on a regular basis for the masses who were by then gaining access to TV and of course radio.
image courtesy of eddowding.com
Fast forward to today's socially savvy consumer and we see the same behavioural traits exhibited by brands who want to hang onto the coattails of those so called 'influencers' with their army of (un-audited) followers in anticipation that some of those loyal followers would go and buy something - same logic as the 'Soaps' but without the storytelling bit!
Then came the Tsunami of digital intrusions called programmatic advertising, which changed consumer inertia and begat the growth of ad skipping, ad blocking and eventually GDPR where the consumer is telling us they are pissed off with all these shit digital non creative intrusions.
And now we see a number of innovations from companies who are looking to move beyond the 'interrupt, advertise and promote' mentality that's already screwed a brands real purpose which is about building relationships.
You know the one place this doesn’t apply?
Movies and TV.
No, I’m not referring to the ads that play during commercial breaks; I’m talking about the subtle brand ads that appear inside the content itself.
Called variously “product placement” or “brand integration,” these are the ads that don’t seem like ads because they exist within the entertainment that you’re watching.
Remember that brand of tablet your favorite action star used to save the world in that blockbuster you watched last weekend?
Immersive Storytelling and User Engagement;
Earlier I mentioned about the history of 'Soaps'.
Today we can binge watch box sets of TV shows or movies anywhere, anytime, and on any device.
Apart from actually having the luxury of time to do this we will have selected stuff based on our collective interest, or a topic suggested by someone we know.
We're also exposed to all those perennial Christmas adverts which of course are designed to draw us in by telling really great stories, yet seem to miss the point for the rest of the year.
My guess is you, your friends and family will remember more about those Movies and TV shows including those 'Christmas Story' adverts than you will from the last 3 digital soundbite intrusive adverts you saw today?
Opportunity?
How big a ‘Star Wars’ & 'Indiana Jones' fan are you?
Here's something that caught my attention recently and whilst still in need of fine tuning provides a glimmer of hope for all of those brands/companies wanting to remain 'front of mind', add value, involve the consumer, and NOT be intrusive......
If you want to see how 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones' started long before 'Episode One' and 'The Temple of Doom', this is one way to get the kids (and you) to find hidden content from a short movie spin off around what is a proven global movie franchise phenomenon..
All without those digital intrusions!!
If you would like to discuss how to utilise this for your brand by all means drop me a DM.
How about that scene in Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond, Casino Royale, when Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd derisively asks if he’s wearing a Rolex? “Omega,” Bond corrects her. “Beautiful,” Lynd responds. Who wouldn’t want to own the same watch as James Bond?
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