Hitching a Ride on the Hype: The Benefits of Co-Branding with Movies

Reaching the Masses - The Advantages of Brand-Movie Partnerships

Brands often team up with movies for co-branded campaigns as it helps increase brand visibility and reach a captive audience in a big way. The partnerships allow brands to target a specific audience, offer unique product offerings, and create storytelling opportunities. They also generate increased social media engagement, brand loyalty, a competitive advantage, and cost-effective marketing.

The film's marketing and promotional activities often result in significant exposure for the brand, leading to increased sales and brand recognition. In this blog, Hollywood Branded shares 8 reasons how movie partnerships can benefit your brand, and provides 10 examples of brand partnerships you will likely remember.

The Big Screen Boost

Many brands love teaming up with movies for co-branded ad campaigns. Why? It's all about getting in front of a massive, captive audience in a big and exciting way! Co-branded promotional campaigns between brands and movies are a popular marketing strategy used to reach a wide audience and create a positive image for both parties involved. 

When a brand partners with a movie, they are tapping into the hype and buzz surrounding the film. This not only helps the brand get noticed, but it also makes their products or services more appealing and credible in the eyes of consumers. Plus, think about it - everyone loves a good movie, right? So why not hitch a ride on that excitement and reach a huge audience while you're at it.

These partnerships allowed the brands to reach a wide and engaged audience, while also aligning their products with popular and fan-favorite movies. The results speak for themselves - increased sales and brand recognition!  It's a win-win for both the brand and the movie, and a fantastic opportunity to reach a massive audience in a big and impactful way!

Top 8 Reasons for Brands to Partner with Movies

1. Increased brand visibility: Partnering with a movie can help increase brand visibility by leveraging the marketing and promotional activities surrounding the film's release.

2. Targeted audience: Partnering with a movie allows brands to target a specific audience that aligns with their target demographics.

3. Unique product offerings: Options today with partnerships can include creating licensing extensions or short-term capsule collections that can offer unique, limited edition products that generate consumer buzz and excitement.

4. Storytelling opportunities: Partnering with a movie can provide brands with the opportunity to tell a story and create a memorable brand experience for their customers.

5. Increased social media engagement: Partnering with a movie can generate increased social media engagement, as fans and followers of the film will be more likely to engage with the brand's content.

6. Increased brand loyalty: By partnering with a movie and creating a special, limited edition product, brands can increase brand loyalty among their customers.

7. Competitive advantage: Partnering with a movie can give brands a competitive advantage by standing out from their competitors and offering a unique, exclusive product.

8. Cost-effective marketing: Partnering with a movie can be a cost-effective marketing strategy, as the film's marketing and promotional activities will often generate significant exposure for the brand.

Successful Co-Branded Promotional Campaigns between Brands and Movies

By partnering with a movie, a brand can associate itself with a popular entertainment property and tap into the movie's fan base. Moreover, by placing its products within the movie, the brand can make a subtle yet effective advertising statement to the audience. Here are ten examples of successful co-branded promotional campaigns between brands and movies.

Here are ten examples of brands who made lasting impressions from their partnerships.

1. Pepsi and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" - Pepsi created a promotional campaign around the movie, using Indiana Jones as the face of its product and offering movie-themed merchandise to customers who purchased Pepsi products.
   
   
2. Nissan and "The Avengers" - Nissan teamed up with Marvel Studios for the release of "The Avengers" and created a series of advertisements that featured the Nissan Rogue and the Marvel characters.
   
   
3. McDonald's and "Toy Story" - McDonald's created a line of "Toy Story"-themed Happy Meals, which included small toys featuring characters from the movie. The promotion was a hit with kids and helped drive sales at the fast-food chain.
   
   
4. Nike and "Space Jam" - Nike signed a deal with Warner Bros. to create a line of "Space Jam"-themed shoes, featuring Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes characters.
   
   
5. Coca-Cola and "The Wizard of Oz" - Coca-Cola created a series of advertisements featuring characters from "The Wizard of Oz" and offered limited-edition collectible glass bottles.
   
   
6. Red Bull and "The Bourne Identity" - Red Bull created a promotional campaign around "The Bourne Identity," using the movie's high-octane action scenes to market its energy drink.
   
   
7. BMW and "The Bond" franchise - BMW has been a long-time partner of the James Bond franchise and has been featured in many of the movies. In "The World is Not Enough," Bond drives a BMW Z8.
   
   
8. Samsung and "The Martian" - Samsung created a promotional campaign around "The Martian," using the movie's themes of innovation and technology to market its products.
   
   
9. Mercedes-Benz and "The Transporter" - Mercedes-Benz signed a deal with Europa Corp to feature its vehicles in "The Transporter" franchise. The partnership helped the automaker showcase its vehicles in a high-octane action context.
   
   
10. Beats by Dre and "Straight Outta Compton" - Beats by Dre signed a deal with Universal Pictures to promote the release of "Straight Outta Compton," creating a line of headphones and speaker systems inspired by the movie.

The Advantages of Brand-Movie Partnerships

Partnering with a TV show or a feature film, at the beginning, when there are not big plans in place, can lead to major brand wins.  We've seen it time and again for our clients at Hollywood Branded over the years.  It lays the ground work for a bigger partnership to be built. 

For a feature film, if you aren't in the film as product placement, when it comes time for planning a marketing campaign, it typically doesn't make as much sense to blow out a partnership with a film that doesn't have your brand included.  Getting involved at the get go, and become part of multiple series and films opens doors to much bigger partnerships down the road.

And check out some of our other agency blogs that talk about best marketing practices for product placement and brand integration partnerships:

• 4 Common Myths About Product Placement Debunked
• 10 Surprising Reasons Why Brands Do Product Placement
• 8 Ways To Use Product Placement Assets To Amplify Your Brand Into Sales
• 3 Important Steps In Planning Product Placement Strategy
• Thinking Product Placement Cost Is High (It Isn't!)

And to learn more about product placement and cross promotional marketing partnerships, check out our e-book Product Placement & Promotions Guide 101.  And we are always here to help!