It is not all glamorous PR launches, trips to film festivals, attending world-class sporting events or managing photo shoots of beach volleyball players with QR codes on their derrieres. Alongside the visible perks of the job there is a whole host of unseen administrative rigour that goes into ‘what we do’ for our clients.
Take the Powerade account team. A fundamental part of our role is meeting the hydration needs of every Powerade sponsorship asset, be that all 72 Football League clubs, Jessica Ennis, or the England, Ireland and Wales Rugby Union teams.
For the Football League alone, each season we manage the supply of enough Powerade and Powerade Pro (powder sachets) to fill over 600 baths. But it is not just Powerade product we deal in; over the course of the year, we oversee the delivery of about 4,000 Powerade sippers bottles – which if stacked from end to end, would tower over the of the world’s tallest building – amongst other Powerade branded hydration equipment.
Just last month, 2,000 sachets of Powerade Pro (which is only available in the UK) safely made it through customs, to help ensure that throughout the Rugby World Cup, on the pitch at least, our rugby boys didn’t go thirsty.
With London 2012 on the horizon, plans are taking shape to supply Powerade product to every single Olympic and Paralympic participant.
Here at Synergy towers we’re always looking for fun, quirky ideas that have genuine media traction while fitting with our clients’ target audiences and business objectives. So with the London 2012 test events rolling into town the Betfair team put our thinking hats on and looked at how Betfair could get involved. We focused specifically on the beach volleyball tournament at Horse Guards Parade - an event with high media and consumer interest that would engage the brand’s target audience and deliver a tactical campaign within budget.
Further to a recent Ofcom report highlighting that one third of British adults now owns a smart phone, Betfair developed a concept to promote their mobile offering.
Synergy negotiated a deal with Team Mullin-Dampney, the number one British beach volleyball duo, to position Quick Response technology, known as QR codes, on the players’ kit. When photographed, the QR code would drive people to Betfair’s free-bet and registration page.
Given the limited space available on a beach volleyball kit, the signature ‘hands on knees’ stance, and likely viewpoint of media and spectator cameras, the QR codes were placed on the players’ bikini bottoms to maximise exposure, whilst their arm bands carried the Betfair Mobile logo.
Working with Betfair’s consumer PR agency and new members of the Engine family - Mischief - we held a photoshoot with Shauna Mullin and Zara Dampney and distributed the images before the test event on 9th August.
Capturing the imagination of both the front and back pages the story featured in four national newspapers (Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Daily Star and Daily Record), two regional titles (Metro and The Evening Standard) and seven national online sites as well as over 200 online outlets, thousands of tweets and in the international media.
No longer is this solely a preserve of our American cousins.
Following OfCom’s relaxation of product placement laws in the UK, brands now stand much more chance of gaining screen-time. Not just sponsoring TV shows (Toyota Aygo‘s long-standing support of T4, Aviva‘s sponsorship of ITV Drama Premieres), but actually intergrating themselves within the programming. But as of yesterday, it has become clear that Ofcom are concerned we are under no illusions that the product appeares their naturally.
As reported by Brand Republic yesterday morning, Ofcom released the Product Placement ‘P’ (above) that will be the mandatory requirement of broadcasters and producers wishing to include branded presence within their creative output. P is for product, is for placement, is for paid-for. This simple logo will need to:
· Appear for three seconds at the start and end of programmes, and after any ad breaks;
· Be placed in one of the four corners of the screen;
· Not conflict with programme idents (e.g. Aviva’s ITV Drama sponsorship break bumpers);
· Meet minimum size requirements, which according to an Ofcom spokesman means it will be “roughly equivalent to the size of a channel logo“.
The impact of this is difficult to measure until we start seeing it on our screens because the actual execution and the measures taken to enforce it are equally difficult to predict and visualise.
In theory, at least it seems a fairly inocuous concept. A small logo in the corner of the screen is no different from the majority of TV channels currently on air. But the interesting question is on brand engagement – do we take the brand’s inclusion in the narrative as less legitimate because we are made aware of the big ‘P’? Or is our attention actually drawn more to its presence because we are warned?
Taking the One Tree Hill example, would a P placed at the start and end of every episode suffice? Or the start and end of every relevant scene? Which of the 58 (!) verbal mentions of Sunkist throught Season 3 would require tagging? Would Sunkist’s brand impact be greater or would we be more skeptical because we had been alerted to the fact that (shock) its inclusion was ‘placed’ (by the producers) and not the ‘genuine’ choice of the characters (which, being fictional, was also the choice of the, err, producers)?
And how far will this start intruding into the realms of editorial integrity? The traditionalists amongst us might like to see advertising restricted to, well, advertising. Aviva’s (admittedly, very entertaining) break bumpers around ITV Drama actually work very well – but at what point will we see the owners of the Marchlandshouse claiming on their Aviva home insurance after a bathroom flood? P or no P, clunky brand inclusions run a very real risk of alienating audiences and compromising enjoyment of the programme.
I would propose that this promise of transparency and visual warning of product placement won’t make much difference to the impact of the brand’s presence. If anything, it might draw attention to the fact that we are about to be advertised at – but then who really watches TV these days expecting anything else? Will we think less of Eastenders because the drink on the Cafe table is Coca-Cola, or the pint being pulled is GUINNESS? We live in a branded world where we expect to see brand messages in our daily lives, so surely we would expect our alter-egos on screen to do so also – where both credible and relevant.
If Ofcom feels the need to make doubly sure we know that the brand has paid for that presence, then so be it, but the modern TV viewer is a savvy animal. Chances are, we already knew anyway.
If, like me, you were unable to keep your eyes open until 4am on Monday morning, you likely watched the highlights of this year’s Oscars online the following day. Unfortunately, for the advertisers that paid around the $1m-per-slot mark to gain a highly coveted slice of the limelight, this means you missed out on the commercial gaps.
It’s always quite amusing to survey friends and colleagues on their recollection of product placement on screen – the latter especially given that they work within marketing and are arguably more watchful of brand presence within entertainment platforms. If you mark this against the reality (superbly documented by Brand Channel‘s Brand Cameo database), I have found that by and large people’s recall is probably less than 5% of the actual brands exposed on screen.
To make things interesting, those clever Brand Cameo folks have taken the brands present in this year’s Oscar contenders for Best Picture and plotted them on a matrix: pitching memorable versus instantly forgettable, against those that provided significant profit versus those that did not.
Hopefully, they won’t mind me reproducing it in full here:
(c) BrandChannel.com 2010
Now for the really interesting bit. Of those featuring in the most memorable segmentation, both Günther’s in District 9 and RDA that featured in Cameron’s epic Avatar were actually fictional brands.
Having written previously on how events, rights-holders and entertainment platforms are increasingly feeling the need to get a ‘brand stamp of approval’ on their project (even if they have to make one up), I am now more convinced than ever that we all now require a brand presence within our entertainment to validate its grounding in reality.
Though in the case of both District 9 and Avatar, paradoxically the branding was exercised to validate their grounding in un-reality. I guess given their sci-fi nature, it seems to make more sense to create a fictional unknown brand, thereby emphasizing the futuristic setting. But nonetheless, Günther’s and RDA still fall firmly on the ‘memorable’ side of scale – despite their non-existence in our reality.
Was this a missed opportunity for ‘real’ brands? Would South African-born Nando’s or thoroughly American N.A.S.A. have offered anything more? Would the producers have allowed it? Would the brand managers have wanted to association? And would the brand messages have been more – or less – memorable as a result?
I would love to know what goes in to thinking up these fictional companies. Do production execs or screenwriters work in a name that states a subtle (or not-so-subtle) socio-political message to fit with the film’s thematic development? As one District 9 viewer pointed out in a fan forum, sometimes the connotations have more meaning than at first it might appear:
‘Why were the South Africans patrons of a restaurant named Günther’s? Günther is the name of a king of Burgundy and means “warrior” or “soldier.” In effect, the South African blacks had a white warrior to thank for their sustenance.’
Either which way, we are entering an era where commercialism of movies – on and off screen – may fast become the life-blood of the industry; if, in fact we are not there already. How many years before an esteemed member of the Hollywood glitterati stands before the Academy audience and announces, ‘And the Academy Award for Best Product Placement goes to….‘?
Judging by the above, this year it should have gone to a brand that doesn’t even exist.
If this year’s Oscar-winning animated short film Logorama is anything to go by, it won’t be long. For those who have not yet had the pleasure of this little piece, the entire premise is the over-branded commercialisation of modern-day America on film. Watch the trailer below, and try to count the brand logos. There are over 2,500 in the full piece. Utter genius.
In football especially, we’re used to seeing teams, governing bodies, brands and celebs attempt to make a few quid around major events by releasing a track which attempts to capture the zeitgeist, and there have been some brilliant moments – especially Three Lions, Nessun Dorma, World In Motion, and the Nike-inspired A Little Less Conversation. Which brings me to The Ashes, the 2009 edition of which starts today, and two very new, and very different attempts to join the pantheon.
The track has a catchy riff (which many will recognise from the days when the BBC televised cricket) and some clever, light-hearted, Aussie-bashing lyrics. I have to say I hated the film though, with its clunky, gratuitous brand placements, and equally gratuitous Benny Hill meets Eric Prydz moments. But judge for yourself here.
I’m sure that Sam would have approved of TDLM, and I’d be shoulder to shoulder with him. It’s barking mad, but utterly, utterly brilliant, and I unreservedly urge you to buy it.
Certainly not a new topic in this forum, but yet again David Beckham is at the top of his marketing game. Tomorrow (11 June) he makes a rare public appearance in London, at Selfridges on behalf of Emporio Armani. As Dom mentioned in his post on Becks, he’s a marketing certainty, and I have no doubt that tomorrow’s event will be mobbed.
For me DB is a fantastic sponsorship opportunity. He’s always been a gifted footballer, and it’s fair to say he’s a bit of a looker too, but he’s certainly not short of company in that bracket. He has that little something that no-one can quite put their finger on, an aura that surrounds him that makes him appeal to so many different people all over the world. This is what makes Beckham so unique and has seen him take footballers beyond being just footballers. He has become his very own brand, but his brand is one that can be so powerful when used in partnership with others, just ask his current sponsors at adidas, Cabo Sao Roque, Coty, Emporio Armani, Motorola and Sharpie.
Armani’s use of Beckham should be admired, as the brand consistently leverages a very strong relationship between the brand and the icon. Armani’s integrated approach drives consumers affinity with the brand, and importantly offers an emotional experience beyond the ATL campaign. For fans all over the globe the opportunity to meet Beckham is a once in a life time experience and this week some of those fans will get their chance in London. The experience will also provide a great PR platform to extend the campaign into the all important column inches.
So tomorrow sees the man at Selfridges, and whilst it will be a small duty in the life of David, I’m sure it will provide incredible excitement for those that meet him. May even help sell a few pairs of pants too.
In an unlikely turn of events, a single T-shirt, sold on Amazon.com has become one of the most popular items in the online retailer’s clothing section, experiencing a 2300% sales boost in a matter of months.
But what manner of apparel could be doing such incredible business? Is it a niche limited edition…? Is it the work of an up-and-coming Harajuku enfant terrible…? Was it worn by all four Beatles during their final tour of the US? I’m afraid not.
The item in question is in fact the ‘Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt’ – the kind of outerwear normally reserved for heavy metal concerts and sci-fi conventions. If you don’t believe me, have a quick look at it here.
Nothing special, you might think (if you do think it’s something special, you might want to stop reading). In fact, thanks to a jokey post from one satisfied (alleged) owner in the product’s ‘Customer Reviews’ section, with feedback on said T-shirt including “Pros: has wolves on it…attracts women…Cons: could probably have used more wolves on the ‘guns’…”, the item has become an internet hit.
Thanks to the wonders of viral email, the product now sports over 300 reviews from satisfied customers, ranging from the humorous to the mildly disturbing. At present, Amazon has not appeared to overtly censor user comments, perhaps content that the phenomenon is translating into an unlikely sales lift.
Whatever way you look at it, there’s no denying the power of a the odd well-placed, web-based witticism – even more so, given that this has led to hundreds of people parting with their hard-earned cash on the back of it.
N.B. Crushingly for UK-based lupine aficionados, the ‘Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt’ is not currently available on our shores. Amazon.co.uk are stocking a single wolf variant, however. I guess you could always buy three of them…
Building on Lucie’s post about Highland Spring’s Comedy Awards mauling, check out this footage of Tom Hanks, er, ’plugging’ Sony in a keynote presentation at the Consumer Electronics Association Show International back in January. Start watching from 1:40. My favourite moment? “They write the lies but I tell the truth.” Glorious.
OMG! This coming Wednesday, the wildly successful CW export, Gossip Girl, returns to the UK on ITV2 for its second season. Aside from my ridiculous excitement surrounding GG‘s return to our screens, the show is also an excellent example of youth marketing at its best.
For those unfamiliar with the show, Gossip Girl is a kind of Cruel-Intentions-meets-SATC for 16-24 year olds. And, for that specific and increasingly hard to reach demographic, it delivers hourly portions of marketing heaven every week for all the brands involved.
Firstly, wrapped around each 15 minute slice of the action sits the show’s sponsorship deal. The pairing of Guerlain’s Insolence fragrance with GG was well-conceived, by both the show’s producers and the brand’s marketeers. Insolence is a brand that defines its identity as ‘free, daring, unpredicatable, radiant’ and whose target female consumer embodies the ‘Insolent woman: audacious, makes her own choices and dances to a different tune…truly herself and utterly irresistable’. Values which, in turn, embed the fragrance with the sultry, aspirational qualities that fans see in the show’s female stars, and which they will no doubt seek to emulate.
As an enthused loyal fan of the first season I was a strong case study for the Guerlain sponsorship, with pretty successful results. I went from relative stranger to the brand, to sampling the product when it next caught my eye, right through to purchase. And all irrefutably due to Gossip Girl‘s powers of pursuasion.
Secondly, within the show itself, each scene becomes a catwalk opportunity for every major fashion label wanting to capture the GG market. The show’s producers, savvy from the beginning to their fans’ copy-cat desires, flood the blogosphere and website forums with insider information on the designers and outlets for each of the characters’ ensembles in key scenes. Thus, GG has done for designers like Abigail Lorick (the real life fashionista behind Eleanor Waldorf’s designs in the show) what The O.C. did for a raft of indie bands from 2003 onwards: through realistic contextual integration into the narrative fabric of the show, these guys get unparalleled exposure to a whole new audience.
Thirdly, evidence of the wider cultural influence of the show seems fairly wide reaching. Knowing that probably 95% of GG‘s weekly audience could only dream of browsing Henri Bendel for the back-to-school gear and party dresses sported by their counterparts on the show, UK high street brands have started to capitalize on the show’s stars’ distinctive styles. Miss Selfridge’s marked upturn in stocking preppy, WASP-ish styles (think ruffles, pearls, blazers) – that could have all been taken straight out of Blair Waldorf’s walk-in closet – is a case in point. And if their visual merchandisers are on the ball, you can bet that their Oxford Street window display will be reflecting this for the next couple of weeks.
(And if you’re still not sold, check out the NY Times story from last summer outlining the demonstrative impact of the show on retail sales in the US).
Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf in a design by Abigail Lorick / Navy blazer with white trim from Miss Selfridge’s current collection
And finally, there is the cast – a select group of impossibly beautiful, precociously talented, walking, talking brand ambassadors for the show . The line between their real lives and the characters that they play is so imperceptible to the show’s legion of followers (even the show’s main romantic union has made the transition off screen), that all awards show appearances, publicity interviews and paparazzi shots become potential outings for the brands in the show. And you can bet your bottom dollar that the designers and brands who stock the wardrobes and dress the set allow, encourage, even pay their starlet darlings to take home their wares and showcase them off camera too.
So, if youngsters of the Z generation are all programmed to be (in the recent words of Lily Allen) ‘weapons of massive consumption’, Gossip Girl and shows like it provide all the ammunition required for brands to hit their targets dead on.
Barack Obama may have decided against signing corporate sponsors to help fund the estimated $40m costs of official events around his inauguration, but brands are deploying an array of marketing techniques to attempt to gatecrash the moment. Here’s a selection.
IKEA has led on experiential, via a mock motorcade touring Washington DC and an IKEA-furnished virtual Oval Office in Washington’s Grand Union station. The latter is replicated online at embracechange09.com, where consumers can add virtual IKEA furniture to the Oval Office and send their suggestions to both their friends and the White House.
Honest Tea, who struck marketing gold when Obama was seen drinking its Black Forest Berry tea on the campaign trail, has launched a limited-edition range renamed “Barack Forest Berry”, and will be sampling around DC all week.
And Audi of America is going seriously big with a raft of broadcast, online and print sponsorship initiatives, including an unprecedented broadcast sponsorship of the ABC, CBS and NBC evening news bulletins on inauguration evening, all to launch a year-long ‘Celebration of Progress’.
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