So if you are a marketer that is fixated on a current or
soon-to-be-released model of your product, think again: "It's the
brand, dummy!"
Roll with me. In "I, Robot" Will Smith rocked a concept Audi car
in a key chase scene the same way Tom Cruise sped his factory-fresh
Lexus away from the bad guys in "Minority Report." But were they
soon-to-be-released models? No. What did those auto manufacturers
do? They placed the brand above any specific model. If Motorola had
been forward thinking, it could have tapped the creative genius of
its designers and handed Michael Douglas something approaching a
Razr that was prominently branded. (Think about how this could have
an even greater impact in sitcoms and one-hour dramas that enter
syndication.)
Now I know "I, Robot" and "Minority Report" were science-fiction
movies, but hear me out. Auto manufacturers have learned from
national auto shows. Concept cars generate excitement, but a
trade-show exhibition area is visited by, what, 50,000-plus people
in a week, a couple hundred thousand online? Now amp that bad boy
into a feature film with a major star that is released on
3,000-plus screens on a major holiday, and then internationally,
then on pay per view, DVD rental, DVD sales and, finally, broadcast
ad infinitum like you just don't care.
All right, "Wall Street" was released in 1987, so are there
recent films in which brands missed the opportunity to future-proof
themselves? Yes my possums.
I'd like to focus on Dell. (I love Apple, but no props
there. Apple doesn't pay for integrations, so if you see a product
in a film, it's a gift from the prop master/set designer.) Dell,
you placed your off-the-rack products in Tony Starks' lab in "Iron
Man." Really? The guy is a billionaire in the tech industry, he
doesn't do off the rack. You also went off the rack for "24." Shame
on you. You are a leading technology manufacturer that is showing
zero "wow factor," "I want that" or, guess what, wait for it, hold
your breath, "excitement." You dropped the what? The "innovation
baton." (Insert a scathing "Saturday Night Live" sketch here with
pelvic thrusts from what's his name) I mean Polaroid signed Lady
Gaga because it knew it was losing its relevancy, but you guys are
just pushing out the same old, same old with the ghost of Gateway
sitting in the balcony rubbing his hands together in glee.
But Dell, you have no excuse. You have an entire agency
dedicated to finding integration opportunities, but what did you
miss? "Date Night," starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey. Mark
Wahlberg plays an ex-spy, and the couple enlists Mark's character
to help them find the bad guys. So the ex-spy sits at his high-tech
workstation with three translucent, flat-screen touch screens --
that are not branded (hear me cry, see me weep). They could have
been Dell! That could have made the brand cool -- gasp, cooler than
Apple -- but no one identified the opportunity and made the
call.
Marketers, future-proof your brands. What is more important, a
specific model or the brand?
I'm an advocate for filmmakers and brands, but I'd love
to see and work on smart deals, and I'm wondering who the takers
are. Disclaimer: No, I'm not saying you can future-proof burgers,
toothpaste, beverages, watches or deodorants -- but you knew that,
right? -- but if you are producing/marketing durable goods, do the
extra work, and it will pay off in the long run.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Brett
Renwick is the founder of Renwick & Co., a branded
entertainment company. Mr. Renwick has done brand integrations,
promotions and sponsorships for "1408," "Rob Zombie's Halloween,"
"The Great Debaters" and "The Nanny Diaries" among other films, and
he has done deals with major brands including McDonald's, P&G,
Yahoo, Nascar, American Express, Budweiser, and Best Buy.
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