Anna Kendrick returns to her home after a long day of shopping only to realize she’s locked her keys in her apartment, and after an urgent call to her super, she plops down on her front stoop with her dog Milos and tries to entertain herself.
Elsewhere, Busy Phillips is thrilled for the start of spring and can’t wait to celebrate her favorite spring activities, even if that means artificially manufacturing them herself. She then taps into her inner minimalist and begins practicing Marie Kondo’s principles of decluttering, leaving her very zen and her husband very confused.
What makes these videos successful? They’re a unique blend of aspirational content with a dash of approachability. As you delve into branded content, consider these four key components to sucess:
These brand videos aren’t a one-off creations; instead, they’ve created a mini-series where we get to see our beloved characters in different situations. Kate Spade’s #MissAdventure series has gotten its fair share of buzz because the audience is keen on seeing what #MissAdventure will get into next.
While Anna Kendrick is pretty famous, both companies chose not to work with A-List. Instead, they’re choosing actresses who have earned a level of stardom to have a substantial following, but at the same time, retain a relatability that keeps them accessible to viewers.
In the latest installments of #MissAdventure, Anna Kendrick passed the torch to Zosia Mamet of Girls fame. With the start of season 2, Zosia has taken the reins and stars alongside Marissa Tomei, Kat Dennings, and Lola Kirke in a new adventure that that ends with a princess bouncy castle. The new actresses also have that “on the cusp of mass fame” indie quality that is a brand fit and also allows for a deeper connection and approachability among target customers.
Both brands focus use humor and ridiculous situations to entertain viewers. While it’s unlikely that we’d be mistaken for Lily Tomlin’s meditation coach like Anna Kendrick was have our husbands use the hose to create a fake rain shower to celebrate spring like Busy Phillips, laugh-out-loud situational comedy creates an immediate connection between the brand and it’s audience. Setting up outlandish situations demonstrates that both brands have a fun, playful side and don’t take themselves too seriously.
Kate Spade took their video content to a whole new level by adding an interactive, touchable function to their videos via vendor Cinematique. Anett Farkas, the marketing manager at Cinematique, has worked extensively on cultivating branded video content and explains that “In the instance with Kate Spade, they did a great job filling their touchable video with interesting tidbits that users could discover by interacting with the video. For example, you get “A Lady’s Guide to Lock Picking” when viewers touch Anna Kendrick’s hair pins in the video. This additional story element brings viewers much deeper into the world of Kate Spade.” These elements enable brands to further immerse themselves into the worlds created for these series’ and encourage viewers to spend more time with the video beyond the initial viewing.
Fashion brands and marketing professionals can adopt a similar lens to branded content and video marketing as a means to entertain and cultivate brand excitement and loyalty.By including these 4 key characteristics, brands can increase engagement through entertainment and help cultivate their brand identity.
By including these 4 key characteristics, brands can increase engagement through entertainment and help cultivate their brand identity.
About Sarah Walsh
Sarah Walsh is an Online PR Specialist at Web Talent Marketing, a full-service digital marketing agency based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that delivers exceptional results to clients. Sarah holds a B.A. from York College of Pennsylvania where she earned a degree in Professional Writing. She’s passionate about creating impactful content and using social media authentically. In her free time, she likes reading, writing for her personal blog, and spending time with her two furbabies.
