Mountain Girl Media
  • Home
  • About
  • Sample Work
  • News
  • Contact

​

The Brave New World of Branded Docs

11/14/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
A couple of weeks ago I took an online class offered by the Center for Documentary Studies on branded docs. Before starting the course I thought I knew what branded documentaries were. I had no idea. 

It is easiest to explain what branded docs are by talking about what branded documentaries are not. They are not ads designed to directly sell products. They are not the same as product placement.  Branded docs are short documentaries funded by a product or organization about a subject matter that aligns with a business' values, mission, or goals.  They might tell the back story or history of an organization, like the IBM Centennial Film, They Were There- People Who Changed the Way the World Works, directed by Academy Award winner, Errol Morris. 

But the ones that are attracting the most attention right now, are not  as directly related to a business or product. Instead, they build credibility and pique the interest of potential customers through association. Branded docs might present a portrait of an artist or althele, or document a way of life or subculture, or call attention to a social or environmental cause. 

Up There, a 12 minute branded doc that was commissioned by  Stella Artois, documents the dying art of sign painting in New York City. It just happens that the sign these craftsman are painting is of a Stella Artois beer. It's a brilliant move. In a market abuzz with alternative craft brews, Stella Artois could seem too corporate. But the film links the brand's values of heritage, craftsmanship and tradition with the tradition of hand-sign painting itself- one that requires apprenticeship and is worth preserving. 

The outdoor clothing design firm Patagonia goes one step further, having sponsored four branded docs in the past two years that champion environmental causes. They even produced a full length documentary, Damn Nation, that premiered at the South by Southwest film festival.  It is easy to imagine that Patagonia's  customers who buy outdoor clothing would have an interest in environmental stewardship, which is one of Patagonia's core values.  

In an increasingly saturated media market, it has become more  difficult  to keep people engaged with content. Branded docs are one way to build positive relationships with likely customers, and keep them on your page. 

​

​



0 Comments


    NEWS


    ARCHIVES

    July 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    March 2020
    January 2020
    April 2019
    August 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    August 2014
    July 2014

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About
  • Sample Work
  • News
  • Contact