Time Warner wants to make you a star.

They’ve launched a new site that lets you tell your own fictional story of your rise to stardom…and subsequent fall back to earth. You can upload photos and create your own True Hollywood Stories-style video about yourself, then share it with your friends. It also links to your Facebook and Myspace pages. The Time Warner brand is prominently displayed throughout the experience while you enjoy the fun. Their goal is to provide so much brandertainment that the site will go super-viral in no time.

Read more about this in AdWeek ››

Become a star yourself ›› 

What do you think?

That’s Brandertainment,

Ron

Obama on Letterman

McCain on Rachel Ray

(Photos by AP)

USA Today has a great article on Bradertainment™ this morning. It talks about our presidential candidates marketing themselves as celebrities as much as politicians — pushing entertainment as much as policy. Why? Because, people love celebrities — the very foundation of Brandertainment’s power. Our politicians get the power of entertainment-driven marketing to win hearts, if not minds. Hearts may be what ultimately decide the election.  What do you think? Read the article, then contribute a comment here.

Go to article >>

See you in Brandertainment™ land,

Ron

Chief Brandertainer

I found this video and thought it was a clever way to inform people a little bit about “Web 2.0″. A well put together video presentation. Enjoy!

There is a 55min video that talks about the creator of this video as well as the phenomenon of YouTube. If you have the time to watch it..do so. It’ll help you understand a little bit more about the affects it has on our culture. It’ll make you laugh, smile, or maybe a little misty eye’d. at the end of it all you’ll say..”aaaw” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPAO-lZ4_hU&feature=user

Krazy Glue website

While we were covering the San Diego Film Festival last week for Shindy.TV, we came across this sponsor promotion: shoot and submit your own commercial for Krazy Glue. The producer of the best submission will win a free trip to Hawaii! What better venue to hold this promo than at a film festival swarming with would-be filmmakers? I talked with the representative from Krazy Glue’s ad agency, sbc Advertising, who told me they are working to revitalize this brand with promotions like this, bringing back the iconic construction worker dangling from his hard hat attached to a girder in the sky, held only by Krazy Glue. For its use of web interactivity, video, entertainment and consumer engagement, we deem this promotion worthy of the moniker Brandertainment™.

See the site and promo >>

See ya soon,

Ron

Chief Brandertainer

Brandertainer Ron

Kleenex knows what Brandertainment is.

To reinvigorate an old brand in a commodity market (tissue), Kleenex has gone emotional, appealing to our need to shed tears and the resultant need for Kleenex to dab our eyes and wipe our noses. They’ve created a whole microsite devoted to their new “Let it out” campaign, in which people can log on, share their poignant stories, and “give a tissue” to those whose stories have touched them. Kleenex also made a movie, in which a host lugs around a big blue sofa and invites people to sit with him to share their stories and cry with him. It might sound a little odd, but it’s certainly creative, and I applaud the effort.

They’ve even taken the campaign international. Here’s the British trailer:

And here’s the American version:

I think this is a interesting way of separating Kleenex from generic tissue. It’s the brand we reach for during those special moments. And, I like that they essentially created an online community, allowing people to submit their stories and give tissues to others’.

Visit the site >>

Join the conversation.

What do you think of this approach? Like it? Hate it? Please let me know. Email me. Or just comment on this blog.

That’s Brandertainment,

Ron

One of the best examples of Brandertainment I’ve seen so far is the series of short episodes Mini USA created in 2007 called “Hammer & Coop.” It’s a knock-off of such ’70s shows as “Starsky & Hutch” and “Dukes of Hazzard” with a less than subtle ode to ’80s phenom “Knight Rider.” The episodes are hilarious; when I first came across these, I didn’t at first realize this was a marketing campaign from Mini (it didn’t take me long to get it, but by then, I was hooked on the hilarity).

Of course, Hammer & Coop is a top-budget production. Do you have to spend like this to create Brandertainment? Not necessarily. Production costs keep coming down — which leaves you more budget for good creative strategy, the one area one should never scrimp on. Mini did a great job of letting the creative dictate the production, not the other way around, and the result is first class Brandertainment:

More Hammer & Coop videos on YouTube >>

What do you think of these? What are your thoughts on how these help the Mini Brand? I’d love to hear from you. Email me >>

See you in Brand Land,

Ron

Bugaboo has created a website called Bugaboo Daytrips that provides free customized city tours for families on the go. Each city tour is presented through rad illustrated maps created by a local artist, and is designed to provide a stimulating experience for both child and parent.

Huge value for consumers everywhere, regardless of which baby stroller they own. I don’t even have kids yet, but I’m excited to go explore Buenos Aires! And when Sean Jr. does show up, guess what brand of baby stroller I’ll remember when booking our family vacation to Portland?

Despite plummeting sales for big record companies, Proctor & Gamble (parent of Tag Body Spray) and Island/Def Jam Records have partnered to launch Tag Records, their own record label with the leadership of hip hop icon Jermaine Dupri. If this wasn’t unconventional enough, as NPR notes, the label will lead off with an unknown name as their first signed artist (Q DA KID).

We’ll see if this concept has legs over the long-run, and there are questions about how an artist’s integrity may be compromised, but one thing is for sure; the consumer has more say in what they buy and brandertainment is the best way to get their attention in today’s saturated market.

Listen to the podcast on NPR

image courtesy of gawker.com

Eight.

I’ll bet that’s what instantly came to mind when you read the title of this post. Eight. Gold. Medals.

Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is a certified brand. So much so that when he had only achieved a mere seven medals a few short days ago, Speedo gave him a million dollars and an endorsement contract.

Record breaker. Super hero. All-star entertainment brand. Michael Phelps.

Just another example of how powerful an entertainment brand can be. In this case, a sports-related one.

I get goose-pimples thinking about the power of entertainment-driven marketing to propel brands. All that’s needed is a genuine, compelling, human story. Like Michael’s.

Or Lance’s. Or Tiger’s. Or…?

By the way, very rarely is celebrity created by accident. It’s earned, just like respect — after a lot of hard work. Michael Phelps may be gifted…but he’s worked his butt off to get where he is, and become the brand that he is.

Every brand has to earn its stripes. Honestly. Dramatically. And with relevance to what people care about. That’s the core essence of any brand. Relevance.

What makes Michael Phelp’s experience so relevant to us?

What’s relevant to you?

Just some food for thought. I hope that gets the juices flowing.

See ya next time,

Ron