The New Commercial - A Branded Content Short Film
Brands are always looking for new ways to grab the attention - and engage - consumers. A new trend for brand marketers, especially in higher and and luxury brands, is to use an artistic approach to their marketing. One way brands are doing this is by giving celebrities creative control of campaigns, like they have with Matthew Mconaughey for Wild Turkey or Lady Gaga and Polaroid.
Another trend that has risen again is one which first became popular 15 years ago. BMW was the first automotive brand - followed by Chrysler and then Ford, to use the format of a short film ladden with big-name actors and directors to create a new level of commercial. In this blog, Hollywood Branded takes a look at the rise of the celebrity endorsement commercialized short film to engage consumers and market brands.
"The Escape"
Back in 2001 BMW launched BMW Films and released a series of eight short films featuring Clive Owen as an enigmatic yet somber driver-for-hire. The series had big-name actors and directors including Alejandro Inarritu, Guy Ritchie, Madonna, Don Cheadle and James Brown and was Executive Produced by David Fincher and Ridley Scott.
Now, BMW is bringing the series and Clive Owen back with all new supporting cast including A-listers including Dakota Fanning, Jon Bernthal and Vera Farmiga.
The spots will look to do what they did the last time - mix art and advertising with big name celebs to market thebrand.
Check out one of the BMW short films called "The Follow".
Macau Studio City Taps Huge Names In "The Audition"
One of Macau's biggest casino openings was celebrated with a short film directed by none other than the great Martin Scorsese. And that's not all. The film featured Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro competing for the same role in an upcoming Scorsese film. And, of course, Brad Pitt made an appearance.
The film was artistic at its core yet doubled as a promotion for the brand's Asian casinos. And the premiere of the film doubled as the opening night of Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd.’s Hollywood-themed Studio City resort.
Not only did these huge celebs star in the film, but were there to unveil it at the premiere.
Estrella Damm's Success
BMW is not the first brand to make waves with a short film.
Spanish beer brand Estrella Damm did so earlier this year bridging entertainment gaps between Spain and America featuring 50 Shades Of Grey's Dakota Johnson and Spanish heartthrob Quim Guiterrez.
The short showed Johnson in a foreign land unable to speak the language yet enjoying the company of new friends with music and beer.
Check out our blog post about the spot here.
How Can Your Brand Use The Power Of Celebrity?
Before you spend another dollar on traditional advertising, consider how you can leverage the power of celebrities as part of your marketing campaigns. Our video provides answers to combat common advertising challenges marketers face daily! Also check out some other celebrity endorsement campaigns on our blog!
