Lots of stories go around in the web about Alec Brownstein and many are untrue. But he is real. He has an interesting web site and his ideas, books and movies are really new. One of the best story about such a 30-year-old American copywriter relates about the way he obtained his first job in a big ads Company. With few money he bought a little space on google, pointing his messages on the first five most importat American creatives. Any time one of these wanted to know how it went his web site or if there was something new about him, at once a pop up with this writing appeared:
“Hi,.. (name and surname of the creative) questions google about oneself is really funny, isn’t it ? Well to employ me will be even much better”. With such a genial trick Alec obtained four interviews on five. From them two final job proposals. At last he was employed by the famous Young & Rubicam. It doesn’t matter if this story is true or not… for sure both the marketing and placement borders have lots to learn from such genial heads like Alec Browstein.
This interesting speech by the journalist Stefania Carini published yesterday on the portal “Corriere.it” relates, maybe for the first time, about the close relationship between the pop music and the serials. It has been talked a lot about the movie sound-tracks from Hollywood, Europe and Italy, much less about the relation between the music and the coreography in the Bollywood productions, where it is not so unsual that the CD copies are sold in a greater number than the tickets of the movie itself.
What connects the music singers to the serial itself is something much more substantial. Sometimes the artist can play the role of him/herself in the plot (Ally McBeal, Las Vegas, Eli Stone, Dharma & Greg, etc.) or a different character well integrated in the story itself though mimicing him/herself a little bit. In “Will & Grace” this has happened each season, with famous artists such as Madonna, Elton John and Janet Jackson. In both cases when this marriage is well amanged it becomes a sort of academic declination of “Win-Win” logic, so loved by the Americans. That is both can profit from such a collaboration, even the public itself. The production enriches the episode in quality with the presence of a hit or a famous character, thus enlarging even its public with that part of fans that otherwise would never watched the serial. The artist employs such a way to give visibility to his/her character, to pass his/her music on a different channel towards a public not so easily reachable and maybe he/she realizes even to be a fairly good actor.
It is useful to note how often the music and TV Productions address to the same agencies of product placement. In the next future the serials, that in the USA are called TV Shows, will become a little bit comedies, a little bit musical and mall. At the beginning people will shout at the scandal but this has already happened when we have moved from theatre to cinema to TV to the web serials. Later on all these instruments will find out their proper spaces, languages and nature. And those who still want a scandal will look for it somewhere else.
Last week Evan Williams, Twitter CEO, was interviewed by the English daily Telegraph. What he said was already known, however his words could make the marketing and media planner strategists think about. The business model offered by Twitter (140 free marks for everybody any time you want) is mostly addressed to the telephone market. This because its shortness and high frequency are compatible with SMS, MMS and more in general with this generation that has made
the mobile become part of our lives. One of the most interesting ads campaigns by Twitter happens to be H3G (last month on an Italian advertising magazine there was a very good article by Angela D’Amelio). Moreover Williams has underlined that his social network is efficient as well as innovative and proposes new and free spaces and without a price list, contrarily to what the others do. These two facts get it closer to the marketing theories that have allowed the birth and development of product placement (artistic choice), and could even suggest the solution to the theme (already spoken about different times in this blog) of “Mobile Entertainment”. The moment to drop the logos, the icons, the colors, the graphic, the animation and the jingles has arrived before we have ever expected… even if we have appealed to since then.
Pokemon are a phenomenon so famous and consolidated (on every channel and media available), that to speak of product placement is impossible. In fact since June the 1st, the little monsters will be object of a huge Tie In that for three weeks will go around all the Burger King Shops in the USA and Canada. On August the 24th it will go to South America for even 6 weeks….I do not have any news about Europe instead. The operation seems to be intelligent and well-planned: for every child menu there will 2 Pokemon cards as gift, plus a gadget. Burger King has offered not only its branches but even a huge promotional campaign with TV spots, In Store material and banner on its web site. The timing of this promotion could not happen in a better moment as the Platinum version of the game has gone out for 3 months and the selling success is based on the collecting mania, that needs to be urged with projects like this. But it’s not all: the Pokemon is ready to send out the movie DVD and above has already planned the new season of its cartoons on Cartoon Network. A succession of dates and events based on two simple game cards, in the most famous public format. It’s so visible to pass quite unobserved… if it weren’t for those monsters….
In 10 days “UP” will get out in 30 American theatres. The new Disney cartoon realised by Pixar in 3D relates the funny story of an old man and a boy scout on a travel towards South America in a house driven by thousands of balloon . The use of the old man’s image and the cartoon logo have been acquired even by Pet&Co (a California base Company that sells healthy pet food) to put them on its main product : the GRRR-NOLA, food integrated with vitamins, amino-acid and free gluten. Even if the reasons for such Tie In have not been revealed, they can be guessed by a second operation done by the Company. It is a competition with a million dollar prize called “Does your dog looks like you ?”. The web site is bowwowmillion.com and it’s sufficient to send one’s own picture with the dog to show the resemblance. Most of the pictures are from children (the target of the Disney cartoon) and from a few researches done to the Pet&Co mangers, there is a clear connection between families with children and families with dogs (or even between old people and pets). Such a simple info has provoked a new strategy: exploitation of the cartoon’s image that, before getting out, has already become famous (it’s the first one with an old man as main character), proposing such a particular and rich competition, particular as the products of the Company.
Regularity of action, winning image and attractive prizes are the magic formula…that always works out….
There are thousands of experts in marketing and media planning that have to study and analyse people behaviours trying to capture their attention through new products, services, ideas, etc.
Sometimes such an exhausting work could be avoided with the certainty to obtain the same if not a better result than the one ensued by the above mentioned efforts.
It’s the case of “Step Up 3”, the third chapter of Disney Saga about the street dancing that has bewitched the teenagers all over the world with the two previous episodes. It’s sufficient to say that “Step up 2, the Streets” earned, during its first week, more than 24 millions of dollars, that is 4 millions of dollars more than the cost of the whole production itself… and this during an uneasy period for the cinema, that is the election week when the public was completely absorbed by the most powerful mediatic event of the century: the chance to have the first black American President.
Now, all those Companies that are interested in pushing their products, ideas, lifestyle and philosophy of life can reach their young public through a very simple way: “Step Up 3”. It’s prestigious, cheap and innovator.
For details and suggestions about product placement and creative utilization p.latini@oratorio.biz
In the USA Martha Stewart is more than a phenomenon. For years unique diva of the domestic TV (receipts, gardening, healthcare, etc.), her image and media power has not been touched either by the period spent in prison, 5 years ago, when she was charged of insider trading. In similar cases, the American public has always been very unmerciful, while this incredible and creative woman of Show Business has got out brilliantly with new ideas and projects. The more recent intuition has been to realise a series of products for dogs and domestic pets in general.
For this reason, she has integrated her popular web site, the TV and radio show as well as the famous magazine “Martha Stewart Living” with a new section. She is not really a pioneer but at the moment she is working upon a new line of food and care dog products with her name, brand and image. Powerful Companies such as Nestlè, Purina and Petcare are negotiating with Martha to get the licensing and merchandising of the whole operation. Knowing her well you can think that the result of such operation will be able to turn over the bad economical situation of the sector, that in one year only has lost 45 millions of dollars.
The huge book “Marley& Me” that have sold millions of copies all over the world and relates the extravagant adventures of a lovely Labrador Retriever and his human family, has become a film since Christmas 2008 by 20th Century Fox (http://marleyandmemovie.com). In the cast there are Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson while the director David Frankel, the same that lead “The Devil Wears Prada”. The film has already gained 135 millions of dollars only in the USA but during 2009 this result should double, as well as the number of viewers that at last will be about 40 millions all over America, Europe and East Asia
With a massive investment Purina, a brand Company of Nestlé Group, has taken part of this great project where it appears with its product in different scenes. But product placement is just a part of the agreement between the movie production and the pet food company that includes as well a project of brand integration and creative utilization. In the ads and trailers Purina is present with its brand and it is connected to a competition (obviously conditioned by the buying of the product itself) whose award is the chance to see our own dog take part of the movie when this will be issued in DVD next Spring. Not only, always speaking of creative utilization, calendars and decorations of the nice honey dog will appear next to Purina white and red checked brand.
Through this operation, of which it is not known the amount, (though for me it is no more than 20 spots on a TV national channel), the brand and the product will reach thousands of millions of people (through to cinema, DVD, TV, trailers, ads, etc.) thanks to such nice movie and a great cast. The cost at any contact is around 0,00006 dollars and the life of the investment is around 7 years. No bad !
Very soon on the Univision portal (www.univision.com), the biggest American network in Spanish language, it will broadcasted “Vidas Cruzadas”, a soap for web realised in collaboration with Endemol and Amistad Production.
15 episodes of 5 minutes each will be visible to all the web subscribers.The plot is probably inspired to a Robert Altman film of 1993, issued by a tale by Raymond Carver. The product has all the characteristics to be good, not only because of the production but even for the cast (Kate del Castillo and Guy Ecker), so prestigious to have lots of fans and web sites dedicated to the same actors. It is very interesting to know that the project will have a “mobile extension” of which, at the moment, there are no news. By sure the fans will have the chance to interact with their actors.
All this has been possible thanks to a huge budget the production has been able to gather thanks to product placement, tie-in and creative utilization. The Companies involved, besides the visibility of their products, will have the chance to talk with the fans through the portal and to all the subscribers of the mobile extensions.
But it’s not only this: within the portal there will be a lottery connected to “Vidas Cruzadas”, where it will be possible to win a cameo jewel in an episode, special interviews to the actors and other gadgets. All these opportunities are offered even to the Sponsors, so to obtain a good visibility without being intrusiveI. This promotion, it’s better to remember, does never interrupt the programme or the web surfing and does not interfere unless the public ask for it.
Already in other occasions, Univision has demonstrated to be unique for innovation, creativity and original subjects, so to gain the faith of the big Endemol and of lots of Companies that follow and support her in her reinterpretation of entertainment as well as of advertising.
Fashion”, the last movie of Madhur Bhandarkar released last October in the Indian theatres was talked about even before its “debut”. The phenomenon is still lasting and this time because a declaration of its producer that has disclosesd that the 40% of its budget (220 millions of rupie) has been covered in advance by contracts of product Placement and Brand Integration. The screenplay and the cast were perfect (with stars like Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut, Mugdha Godse and Arjan Bajwa) but the numbers are however important. Six international brands such as Reebok, Lenovo, Sunsilk, Kimaya, Cellucom and LG have offered 85 millions of rupie (1.270.000 of euros ab.) to appear with evidence but with respect to the plot and the photography of the film. A Manager of the production has underlined that the Sponsors have taken their decision with great attention evalueing any detail of the operation. The Indian advertisign Agencies, continues the Manager, are discovering only now the potentialities of this instrument underlining its efficacy in a separate way with respect to other advertising operations done by the same Client.
On the contrary the strategy is going to the opposite side, as Product Placement and Brand Integration give by certain a huge help to marketing mix but they are not the instruments that alone can solve the problem of visibility.
That’s why the main sponsors of “Fashion” have organised a creative utilization campaign to enlarge and make last the effects of product Placement, thanks to events (obviously connected to the Fashion world) and crossing advertising.
Madhur Bhandarkar tells us that it’s over the time you just put a product in a film to get visibility, now the brand has to take part in the plot and become a necessary character to get success. And when this happens, the product becomes a piece of the movie history and of the popular culture, for ever fixed in the public memory.
Last week Evan Williams, Twitter CEO, was interviewed by the English daily Telegraph. What he said was already known, however his words could make the marketing and media planner strategists think about. The business model offered by Twitter (140 free marks for everybody any time you want) is mostly addressed to the telephone market. This because its shortness and high frequency are compatible with SMS, MMS and more in general with this generation that has made
In 10 days “UP” will get out in 30 American theatres. The new Disney cartoon realised by Pixar in 3D relates the funny story of an old man and a boy scout on a travel towards South America in a house driven by thousands of balloon . The use of the old man’s image and the cartoon logo have been acquired even by Pet&Co (a California base Company that sells healthy pet food) to put them on its main product : the GRRR-NOLA, food integrated with vitamins, amino-acid and free gluten. Even if the reasons for such Tie In have not been revealed, they can be guessed by a second operation done by the Company. It is a competition with a million dollar prize called “Does your dog looks like you ?”. The web site is bowwowmillion.com and it’s sufficient to send one’s own picture with the dog to show the resemblance. Most of the pictures are from children (the target of the Disney cartoon) and from a few researches done to the Pet&Co mangers, there is a clear connection between families with children and families with dogs (or even between old people and pets). Such a simple info has provoked a new strategy: exploitation of the cartoon’s image that, before getting out, has already become famous (it’s the first one with an old man as main character), proposing such a particular and rich competition, particular as the products of the Company.
In the USA Martha Stewart is more than a phenomenon. For years unique diva of the domestic TV (receipts, gardening, healthcare, etc.), her image and media power has not been touched either by the period spent in prison, 5 years ago, when she was charged of insider trading. In similar cases, the American public has always been very unmerciful, while this incredible and creative woman of Show Business has got out brilliantly with new ideas and projects. The more recent intuition has been to realise a series of products for dogs and domestic pets in general. 
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