“.... Thanks to the invention of TiVo and Internet. Fewer and fewer of us are actually sitting through these. ..... Welcome to the brave new world of brand integration.” (The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, 2011)
That opening narration exactly describe the whole story line of this documentary film as well as the condition we are living today clearly. The film tells the audiences how multimillion-dollar corporations show their existence in publics; how audiences are unconsciously ‘fed’ by a lot of advertising whenever they watch movie and television, walk on the street, buy fast food, and even play toys.
Morgan Spurlock, the director and main cast of the film, presents how product placement, that builds co-promotion relationship between advertisers and film maker, can fully fund the production cost of a film. The production cost encompassed all activities of Morgan Spurlock showed in this film such as
Did personality test,
Targeted companies that are relevant to his personalities, to become the sponsr of the film,
proposed his idea of making documentary film all about product placement, marketing, and advertising,,
gave pitch to convince the companies which are interested to join in his documentary film,
did negotiation with participated companies regarding feedback mount for both parties,
asked advice to law firm and communications and advertising experts,
interviewed random people regarding their perspective on product placement marketing in a film,
approached school to allow in-school advertising,
penetrated Sao Paulo market where commercial outdoor displays have been banned,
asked Tony Seiniger to create inspired ad campaign,
asked Peter Bermis to make iconic movie poster,
asked Martin Lindstorm about marketing strategy (neurological marketing)
approached music bands and singers to create songs for the film’s soundtrack,
Asked Ron English to make a photograph of the film for a card
Amazingly, he successfully released this $1.5 million documentary film solely financed by 12 sponsors and parties in partnership whose brands have been promoted and placed in this documentary film.
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold Official Movie Trailer (2011) source: www.youtbe.com
Through this film, I can learn flip-side of everything they did to portray the brave new world today that I did not get in University, such as brand integration, product placement, co-promotion, brand personality, brand collateral, and movie business.
Brand integration means the company name or the product entails openly discuss within the story, hence, product placement is used as the technique to promote the company’s product through a non-traditional advertising such as film, television, or other media. Brand integration and product placement creates a mutual relationship among advertisers (companies) called co-promotion. In this case, sponsors and Morgan Spurlock have co-promotion relationship in which Morgan Spurlock’s film will turn into blockbuster in the sponsors’ brand/product, while the sponsors will get millions of dollars of free advertising for the film and raising visibility for the companies.
Brand personality is characteristics that are attributed to a brand name that relate to the consumer that affect to the brand collateral. Brand collateral is the tangible evidence of the brand; a design of the brand’s core values and personality to make it appealing to audiences. In order to produce successful film, Morgan Spurlock explored his personalities which are mindful and playful, so he can determine targeted sponsor with similar brand personality, and eventually reflects the genuine characteristics of the film that audiences can enjoy.
Dealing with advertisers in movie business requires answer of this questions, “How cheap can you make the movie?” ; “How well do you tell the story you intend to tell without compromising?” Movie business with product placement inside must be story-telling not story-selling because when the product placement is super obvious, it becomes ridiculously obvious and then it can break the reality (J.J. Abrams, Director of Star Trek; Brett Ratner, Director of Rush Hour; and Quentin Tarantino, Director of Inglourious Basterds).
Lastly, I can learn that me, as the audience, is no longer an audience. In this world of brand integration, audiences are partner in whatever communication company choose to create. They want to be involved, so they will judge the companies (sponsors) as selling up not selling out and judge the film-maker as buying in not selling out. Both companies and film-maker have to make a good strategy to achieve their goals without violating their credibility and integrity expected by the audiences, so good for the companies, good for the film-maker, good for the film, and good for the audience, GOOD FOR US (Faris Yakob, Chief Innovation Officer at kbs+p).
In my opinion, POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold is great film, especially for those who study or work in Communications and Media Studies, field of Marketing and Advertising. This film gives insights of practical field of today’s marketing industry which enables us to have better understanding on how advertising works for financial source while promoting certain product to audiences.
If you are studying Communication Studies, Marketing or Advertising, and Broadcasting you must watch this film!
Super Recommended Film!
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