BEST BRANDED ENTERTAINMENT

Branded entertainment can be many things. It could be product placement, branded content, brand storytelling, the options are endless. There have been countless iterations, from Red Bull TV to Dulux sponsoring Channel 4’s “dressing room”. Arguably, the best branded entertainment is long-form content.

If brands get the right long-form content in the form of TV series or documentaries, it can lead to exciting opportunities, and it’s always possible to go further and partner with Netflix, Hulu, Bloomberg TV and others.

With so much short-form content already on every social media channel, it’s getting harder and harder to compete. Create quality editorial content with the depth and breadth to perpetuate in digital and broadcast environments and make a lasting impact, even when underwritten by brands.

But what does really great long-form or “branded content” look like? Based on our experience working with various well-known brands, our top five include:

1. U.S. Navy

we for us navy, called “Faces of the Fleet,” consists of five- to eight-minute-long films and is some of the most successful content they’ve created. Engagement rates are high because they’re all about empowerment — inspiring and true human stories about sailors in the Navy who make their lives better. For this campaign, 700 channel-appropriate properties have generated over 149 million impressions, 19 million shares, likes and positive comments so far, with more than 2 million teens engaging to the last second.

We produce a lot of digital video content because there are so many different digital platforms to find your audience. For the Navy, its YouTube audience can be very different from its Instagram or TikTok audience. We are constantly working with our partners to create custom content for each platform, each targeting a different audience.

2. Under Armor

As part of another long-term partnership, CLICKON has been helping sportswear brands, Under Armor, discover moving stories Supporting athletes and empowering the next generation of athletes through a wide range of provocative and inspirational video series.

We recently partnered with Under Armor to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IV. The series showcases the lives of four tenacious female athletes who inspire the next generation of women to be fearless and stand up for the betterment of their sport by highlighting the struggles they faced and how they broke down systemic barriers .

The campaign is built around the idea of ​​teamwork, that no athlete is alone, and that it’s the people around us—teammates, parents, friends, coaches, teachers—who help us pick ourselves up and guide us when we’re lost Or when we are forgotten.

We’ve been helping sportswear brands unearth the powerful stories behind their athletes and empower the next generation of athletes through a wide range of provocative and inspirational video series. They’ve reached tens of millions of teens on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

3. Lenovo

A TV series made for Lenovo is the first-ever brand-produced tech talk show. Originally intended to air on social channels, the series invites tech experts to speak on the biggest issues facing society today. The only branding is the title, Lenovo “Late Night IT”.

For this series, we hired an Emmy-nominated host to guide honest, personal conversations with our guests. The goal was to shift the focus from Lenovo, known as the PC equipment company, to a company at the forefront of transformative technology. The long-form content performed well on social and digital platforms, with the entire series picked up by Bloomberg Television just two months after launch.

This is the first time Lenovo has invested in long-form content, and it became the most successful advertising campaign globally last year. It drove a 7 percentage point increase in brand consideration, 72 million pageviews, and 300 million impressions: 70 percent above the industry benchmark and a 20 percent completion rate.

It also won two awards. including Best in Show ANA’s 2022 B2 Awards Competition (May 2022) and business-to-business in 14th Annual Shorty Awards (May 2022).Due to its success, a second series was commissioned and Debut in early February 2023.

4. Japan National Tourism Organization

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and Japan’s largest five-star airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA), launched their first net-zero advertising campaign in July. Partnered with marketing solutions company CLICKON and full-service creative agency Kemosabe to reduce carbon emissions by 88.5% using fully sustainable production solutions.

The campaign, hosted by American actress Uma Thurman, aims to capture off-the-beaten-path experiences in six regions of Japan, from Hokkaido to Kyushu, in an effort to encourage tourists to return to Japan after the pandemic. The multi-million dollar campaign was used across a wide range of media channels, including a new interactive hotspot site for travelers to explore and plan their trips based on their passions and interests.

The campaign was filmed using an on-the-ground team in Japan over six weeks, capturing more than 60 locations and experiences without any international travel. Shooting was managed by a London-based team using CLICKON’s end-to-end workflow technology. This is used for review and feedback on content as it is shot and uploaded to the CLICKON IQ platform. Provide real-time feedback to local teams to ensure quality content is captured and briefed – saving time, investment and carbon footprint. Compared with traditional production methods, it saves 40% cost and 35% time.

5. Red Bull

Red Bull is known for investing in all kinds of interesting long-form content.We partnered with Red Bull Media House to produce the first original branded documentary series exploring the global phenomenon Esports in different corners of the world.

Across the globe, different cultures have embraced esports in unique ways and developed their own thriving identities in the face of adversity. “Part of the Game” explores the meteoric rise of the esports community – from the PC explosion in bustling Seoul to the European esports hub of Berlin. More than 1,200 channel-friendly video assets generated a 36% year-over-year increase in brand engagement, 84% positive sentiment, and over 4 million views.

Brand-funded entertainment content is enduring multi-purpose engaging content that truly connects brands with consumers through inspiring stories. You are creating something to help customers understand what you stand for as a brand, and to sell a product or service. When it’s used in all the right places, it has long-term value—perhaps for months, years, or possibly forever in our digital-first world. By opening an honest and authentic window into a world that humanizes your brand, educates consumers and generates engagement and loyalty – the opportunities and positive impact are endless.