Papa's got a brand new 'brand'
Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 12:00PM 
In 1985 one of the coolest movies I had ever seen (up to that point anyways) was Back to the Future, featuring Michael J. Fox. One of the reasons I liked it so much was simply because of its title (how on earth do you go back to the future?!?!). I'm a huuuuge fan of oxymorons. For as long as I can remember I've always seemed to love ideas that seemingly don't go together...
Well the movie, in short, is about how Marty McFly, (Michale J. Fox) a typical mid 80's teen, gets sent accidentally back to 1955 in a DeLorean time machine, built by Doc Emmett (played by Christopher Lloyd). While there, Marty unintentionally interrupts his parents first meeting together. He then runs into the 1955 Doc and they together try to figure out how to get Marty's parents-to-be back together, so he can return to the future.
So now I'm going to take a trip back in time, about ten years, so we can then travel to the future... (and journey into an emerging realm for brands).
In 2001 (pre Facebook, Youtube, or Blackberrys) BMW launched the film series, The Hire, which was 8 short films produced for the internet. The plots of each of the films differ, but one constant remains: Clive Owen plays "The Driver", a man who goes from place to place (in BMW automobiles), getting hired by various people to be a sort of transport for their vital needs.
BMW pretty much premiered this type of marketing technique (branded content) which converges advertising and entertainment, and in the process blurring the conventional distinctions between the two.
A little less than a decade later, with digital [video] being the blood, lymph and lingua franca of contemporary culture, advertainment is allowing brands to become brand new, by allowing customers to see them in a new light and be engaged in a different way.
Enjoy as Clive helps the Godfather of Soul broker a little deal for his soul...
Two other shorts from the series that rock - Hostage and Ticker
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