Mission:  Product Placement

Box office action films, especially spy capers, are a mecca for luxury and high tech brand partnerships.  The storylines provide seamless showcase opportunities, the typical associated cast are mega A-list actors, and the international audiences provide a global platform to launch co-branded media campaigns.  What more could a brand desire!

And one of the most time-tested, popular and brand friendly of these films is the Mission Impossible franchise.  In this blog, Hollywood Branded shares an infographic our team created on the brand partnerships of Mission Impossible through the decades.

Yet Another Opportunity To Watch Videos

Last month, Instagram announced the launching of their new app, Instagram TV (IGTV). After the tremendous success of Instagram Stories, introduced in August 2016 to compete with Snapchat in the short-form video space, the social network is taking things one step further with IGTV: a long-form, vertical video app that’s seamlessly integrated into Instagram.

It’s no coincidence that, in the very same announcement, Instagram also revealed they have surpassed one billion users, making it the third largest social network after Facebook and YouTube. IGTV represents Instagram’s most aggressive move to date aimed at attracting brands looking to reach wide audiences through integrated content. In this blog, Hollywood Branded discusses what brands need to know about Instagram TV, gives marketers and content creators some guidelines on how to use the new app to drive conversions through branded video content, and shares some current case studies of what brands are doing on the platform.   

Brand Marketing Mayhem: What Papa John’s Can Do To Recover From A PR Nightmare

So what do you do as a brand if your entire image is wrapped around one individual... and the partnership goes wrong? Do you put your head down like an ostrich and try to weather the storm ... or do you start looking for different eggs to put in your basket, and grab onto other properties and individuals who can help give you a quick brand lift while sharing your message of brand beliefs which (hopefully) counter those of whatever happened that went wrong.

Such is the case of Papa John's at this moment in time. In this blog, Hollywood Branded discusses what brands like Papa John’s can do to recover from a PR nightmare caused by its own self-created celebrity persona, and brand founder. 

How Self-Awareness Doubles As Clever Self-Promotion

The times they are a changing, at least as far as product placement goes, and no we're not just talking about the work we do over at Hollywood Branded, and other agencies.  Taking a brand, placing it in a movie - when you think of product placement that is the exact image you get, isn't it? A Coke can in the hands of an A-List actor while they're having lunch, or cracking open a cold Bud Light after surviving an alien robot attack (we're looking at you Transformers: Age of Extinction).

While those overt placements are top of mind there's another level that exists, one that's much more subversive in nature, one that you may not even consider to be product placement in the first place since it's so natural, or in some cases, expected - like in Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2. So, what exactly are we talking about? Well, we're glad you asked.  In this blog, Hollywood Branded delves into a trend in movies by using studio properties as a form of product placement, and see just how successful this new form of promotion is...

We All Recognize Celebrities In Commercials - But Do We Recognize Their Voices?

Celebrities endorsements have been around for as long as there have been celebrities and brands. And since the invention of television, these celebrities have been on your screen selling everything from soda to cars to political candidates. And for good reason - celebrity endorsements are proven to work.

And it's not just their image - celebrity voices can be just as powerful. And while you may not have realized some of these celebs voiced the commercials they're in, your subconscience recognizes their voices... and you may be surprised at who they actually are.   In this blog, Hollywood Branded looks at celebrity endorsement ads for 5 celebrities whose voices are used to sell brands.