SVOD & Product Placement: Amazon Prime Instant Video Original Series

Amazon Video Is An Opportunity Your Brand Can't Afford To Ignore

It's no secret that streaming services are very quickly becoming major players in the world of television. And because they are a subscription service, they don't have to adhere to the same set of strict standards and guidelines as network TV shows... Which is great news for brands that want to their products in front of viewers.

Amazon Video has become a frontrunner in the world of streaming content, its position solidified by winning two of its five Golden Globe nominations this year.

Hollywood Branded takes a look at current and upcoming original content from Amazon Video and the growing product placement opportunities in the world of Streaming Video On Demand (SVOD). 

SVOD and Why Brands Should Care

One of the benefits of SVOD is that content can be viewed not only on computers and laptops, but also on Internet-connected game consoles, set-top boxes, smartphones, tablets, TVs, and other devices. Millennials are highly favoring this ease of ability to watch, as well as those who have chosen to 'disconnect' from expensive cable subscriptions.  

Today, SVOD is considered by Hollywood to be on equal footing to that of Broadcast and Cable Network television programming - and this award show season is honoring the high quality of more SVOD and cable programs than ever before. And in turn, this is opening up more and more opportunities for product placement.

Amazon Prime Instant Video

Originally called "Amazon Unbox", Amazon Prime Instant Video has risen to the top of the SVOD world, especially after adding original programming in 2013. The media giant has since gone on to make quality content, winning many prestigious awards for shows like Transparent and Mozart In The Jungle. They are adding new programming constantly, and our agency has been working with them on some exciting new content they are getting ready to launch.

What makes Amazon Video different from other streaming services is that it offers more than just a streaming service; users can rent or buy content as well. According to a study done by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), while Netflix remains the king of streaming, Amazon Video has a higher viewership when you factor in the content users buy and rent on top of streaming.

While Jeff Bezos and the team at Amazon have a reputation for being very tight-lipped regarding numbers, it's estimated that Amazon Prime has around 50 million subscribers. And according to a recent study by CNBC, the percentage of Amazon customers that adopt the Prime subscription jumped from 25% in 2013 to 40% as of September, 2015.

As that number grows, so does the quality of the streaming giant's original content. Below are Amazon Prime Instant Video original series - aka potential shows your brand could be placed in. 

The Comedy Series

• Alpha House        
  • John Goodman stars in this political comedy about four senators who share the same political party - and the same living situation. They deal with the ups and downs of American politics, including fights for reelections, scandals, policies, and more in a hilarious way.

• Betas
  • Four Silicon Valley friends believe they have created an app that will change the world... now they just have to get the world's attention.

• Catastrophe
  • Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan created and star in this raunchy comedy about the accidental impregnation of a schoolteacher from London by a hot shot Boston ad exec. His American culture clashes with her British background when he decides to move to London to help raise the baby. Barely knowing each other before having a kid turns out to be a bit of an issue - but it's also hilarious.

• Mozart In The Jungle
  • "Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music" is the tagline for this dramedy about the New York Symphony Orchestra. When a new fiery Maestro takes over the conductor's baton, the entire symphony is shaken up. From rookies to veterans, the story follows the ridiculousness that is the life of a musician.

• Red Oaks
  • A college kid is home for the summer and picks up a job at the pretigous local tennis club Red Oaks Country Club in the Go-Go days of the 80s. 

• Transparent
  • What happens when you find out the family patriarch reveals he is truly a woman and has decided to undergo gender reassignment? Well for this narcissistic family, a lot happens. This family dramedy takes a modern look at family, relationships, and self.

Drama Series

• Bosch
  • Harry Bosch is a homicide detective with the LAPD who is on trial for the fatal shooting of a serial murder suspect. Simultaneously, a case that has gone cold heats up again when the remains of a missing boy require Bosch to face some demons lurking in his past. Based on Michael Connelly's best-selling novels, the series is filled with suspense and romance as Bosch pursues justice. 

• Hand of God
  • Ron Perlman of Sons of Anarchy fame returns to the small screen for this Amazon original psychological drama. Judge Pernell Harris has never quite been an honorable judge. However after a breakdown changes the way he views life, he trades his morally corrupt ways for vigilante justice, all the while believing God is telling him to do so.

• Mad Dogs
  • A celebration for an old friend goes horribly awry for these 40-something friends after they meet in Belize. Ridiculousness follows as the friends encounter dark secrets, deception, and even murder.

• The Man In The High Castle
  • Do you ever wonder what life would have been like if World War II had gone a different way? This series explores an alternate-reality where the Axis powers won WWII and Japan and Germany now occupy the United States. A few citizens still fight against the harsh rule and their tenacity and faith in freedom are tested in this new world.

Kids and Young Adult Series

• Annedroids
  • Anne is a brilliant eleven-year-old kid engineer who has designed and built her own androids. When her friends discover her secret workshop, the join her to solve scientific problems as well as problems in the everyday life.

• Creative Galaxy
  • This childrens show that centers on the adventures of Arty and Epiphany, premiered in 2013. Filled with problems that must be solved creatively, the show promotes art and interaction from the preschool-aged viewer.

• Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street 
  • Growing up on what seems to be a pretty ordinary suburban neighborhood, Gortimer Gibbon and his friends Mel and Ranger navigate the strange world of growing up. What's more - the street may not be so "normal" as hints of the extraordinary show themselves from time to time.

• Just Add Magic
  • Three friends stumble across a strange cookbook with a mysterious secret in Kelly's attic. They realize the cookbook belongs to her Grandmother who must be released from a curse... using the magic from the cookbook they found!

• Tumble Leaf
  • Tumble Leaf is a visually stunning animated series that follows Fig, a blue fox that spends his time exploring and discovering. The series encourages playtime and friendship with the fun of learning.

• Shaun The Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas
  • Shaun the mischievous sheep follows the Farmer and another sheep to the Country Fair in this original spinoff of the classic television show and movie franchise. When Shaun spots some particularly clever Llamas, he convinces the Farmer to buy them.

• Wishenpoof! 
  • This animated tale follows an extraordinary girl, Bianca, who has the gift of being able to make wishes come true. With her fairy friends and teddy bear sidekick Bob by her side, nothing can stop Bianca and her Wish Magic!

There's No Lack Of Opportunity With Amazon Programming

Hollywood Branded is no stranger to working on Amazon programming, most recently teaming Blackberry up with Mozart In The Jungle, a Golden Globe-winning series. We see endless opportunities for our brands to get involve in Amazon Prime Instant Video series, and will create a strategy for your brand to be a major player in this newly emerging content space!

Are you interested in integrating product placement into your entertainment marketing mix, but simply don’t know where to start? There is so much more to product placement than you may think, and it is important to be educated about the key tactics to best fit your brand. Download our Product Placement 101 Infographic today to start learning more!