Excerpt: Consumers have become nearly inured to pervasive product placement, from the prominent Lexus LC 500 in Black Panther to every character (and frame) in the Lego movies. But fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands are working with film in more subtle ways, often seeking a halo effect rather than a quick sales lift. Prada’s Miu Miu has been releasing short films under the “Women’s Tales” banner since 2011, for example, providing costuming and flashing “Miu Miu Presents” on the screen but otherwise letting directors such as Ava DuVernay, Agnes Varda and Dakota Fanning do as they please.
Advertising is suffering from clutter, blocking, skipping and commercial-free video services, says David Lang, chief content officer at Mindshare North America, part of the ad-agency holding company WPP. “The question becomes, How do you have a conversation with your consumers?” he says. “Add to that, consumers are more than ever looking at brands to have a purpose.” Film is one way that brands can project meaning, Lang adds.
Brands can’t use too light a touch, however. “You have to get credit for being the enabler of that experience,” Lang says. “Otherwise, it’s all for naught.”
To learn more, read the full piece in WSJ Magazine.
