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A renewed love in sight… The romance that has always existed between brands and the entertainment industry has recently taken on a new shine. Perhaps the cause is the takeover bid that luxury houses are currently carrying out in the sector (see box). Just as likely a reason: the great fight waged by advertisers and communicators to win the new battle for attention. It is true that these contents which borrow from the entertainment genre have always been a hit. It is up to brands to know how to tame what is in essence a living material, as Charles Moukouri Bell, co-founder of Dat-Way, an agency specializing in musical collaboration between brands and artists, recalls: “Entertainment embraces everything that deals with entertainment and distraction. Its verticals have evolved over time. In addition to the categories of cinema, documentary culture and sport, today we add the explosion of lifestyle, gaming and music. »
For more than a century, brands have been appropriating the key leisure activities of the moment, each time going further, with formats that are constantly reinventing themselves. Television and sports sponsorship in the 1980s, cinema-style advertising campaigns in 2000, digital content and influencer collaborations in 2010… And recently, luxury houses have taken yet another step forward with fully-fledged cinematographic objects. BMW started with The Hireshort films directed by Tony Scott or Wong Kar-wai. Saint Laurent Productions is thinking even bigger, having presented this year at Cannes the opuses of Jacques Audiard, David Cronenberg and Paolo Sorrentino. Approaches that would almost make the good old product placement obsolete, which has nevertheless lived well. In his Aston Martin, James Bond witnessed this for a long time.
Another major trend listed by Nico Daude, general manager for France of the entertainment agency Amplify, is that of hospitality: “Hotels, restaurants, private beaches… After partnerships and celebrities, brands now like to appropriate spaces for experience and relaxation. » It is true that this summer in Saint Tropez, everyone had taken up residence: Jacquemus at Indie Beach, Gucci at Loulou or Dior at Shellona Beach. This creative effervescence has in fact given rise to a new category of Lions in Cannes, for the moment dominated by Anglo-Saxon productions, well ahead on this subject, as recalled by Matthieu Elkaim, chief creative officer of the Ogilvy agency. Paris : “The category remains an interesting signal to point out a real trend. We prioritize the relevance of a strategy, the originality of an approach and a concept, without accepting the gratuity or artifice of the means alone. »
Branded entertainment is therefore experiencing a real acceleration. William Blanc, CEO of Quad Productions, increasingly in demand for this financial year, has even dedicated a dedicated offer to it: “The interest is common. Brands discover new ways of creating content when producers no longer hesitate to contact these brands to identify new stories or have them carry their project. » Same state of mind in the world of music, confirms Rémi Campet, other founder of the consulting firm Dat-Way: “The ecosystem is opening up, with artists who are no longer reluctant to collaborate. » From then on, projects became legion: the biopic on Enzo Ferrari available on Netflix, the documentary Aya Nakamura, High Level produced by Lancôme for the artist’s YouTube channel, the collaboration between Bulgari and the driving simulator Grand Tourism or, again, the extreme sports strategy of Redbull, master of the game in this area.
But can any brand truly lay claim to the art of brand entertainment? Yes, answers without hesitation Fabien Gaëtan, head of gaming and entertainment for the Marcel agency: “Brands all aim to be cultural as long as they bring value to their communities, an approach which also requires a certain letting go of creation. This eligibility therefore relies more on the capacity of a marketing department than on the DNA of a brand. » And indeed, less expected sectors are entering the game. We will cite, among others, the advertising mini-series At the Déonsimagined by BETC and produced by Quad for Crédit Agricole, the short film about caregivers The invulnerablesupported by Macif, the Airbnb Icons experiences, organized in particular in France by the Amplify agency and allowing travelers to experience extraordinary ephemeral moments and accommodation. Brands like Transavia, Groupama and Granola are entering gaming directly with the Marcel agency. The National Interprofessional Livestock and Meat Association itself is launching with Ogilvy Paris by imagining a documentary which followed a streamer in his desire to fight against junk food linked to gaming activity.
An engaging story
Do brands really have a choice? “Historical advertising copy is reaching further and further into speaking, even though it is increasingly constrained in its format and its freedom of tone. Entertainment then makes it possible to tell a story in a more engaging way, leaving a lasting mark. recalls William Blanc. Same story for Fabien Gaëtan: “In a media consumption that has become delinearized and fragmented, advertising can disturb people. If brands want to return to being entertaining rather than intrusive, entertainment is a key. » For Nico Daude, “This new way of consuming the brand offers the possibility of connecting to diverse audiences by creating a more emotional, deep and sincere relationship. »
Be careful, however, to avoid missteps. For Rémi Campet and Charles Moukouri Bell, everything will firstly depend on the coherence of the approach: “The consumer is not stupid and expects a brand to be authentic and sincere with cultural objects that are not advertisements. » It also remains fundamental to turn to ecosystem professionals: “The mistake often made is to want to create entertainment with the codes of advertising, says Matthieu Elkaim. Entertainment is another profession, which works with other talents. » Other codes as well, as William Blanc likes to point out in conclusion: “The time for imagination, manufacturing and distribution in advertising remains very short. This time factor remains longer on documentaries or feature films, up to several years. But the object will last even longer. » Or when patience will soon be part of the job descriptions of marketing departments…
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