Pepsi's Uncle Drew proves that audiences will pay to watch branded film content



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* Nearly 1.7 million people saw the film " Uncle Drew " during its opening weekend, paying money to watch what some people consider like a Pepsi advertisement of 105 minutes. Experts say it will probably not be the last time the public will pay to see branded content.

The film, co-produced by Pepsi, highlights the Pepsi logo in certain scenes and centers the plot on a character that is synonymous with the online advertising campaign of the beverage manufacturer.

Here's More by Washington Post:

What sets brand content apart from other types of advertising is that it has no sales message, says Mara Einstein. "Black Ops Advertising." Instead of selling, branded content informs and entertains. "The goal at the end of all this is when you have to go out to buy this product, you will buy from [the brand]," said Einstein. "But it's a longer time."

Brands have been working in this space between entertainment and sales for a long time, said Einstein. return to the advent of soap operas. Diurnal drama series were often sponsored by companies selling household products to housewives.

Since then, branded content has developed to track viewers wherever they are – in video games, movies, videos, tutorials and more . Pepsi, whose branding strategy included sponsored half-time shows, documentaries produced by Gatorade and celebrity endorsements such as Michael Jackson, has long linked its branded content to popular culture.

YouTube's "Uncle Drew" trip to the feature-length advertising campaign began in 2012 when NBA star Kyrie Irving took on the role of basketball septuagenarian Uncle Drew. The first video, written and directed by Irving, recorded more than 50 million views on Pepsi's YouTube channel. A number of sequels followed, adding to the list of basketball pros such as Kevin Love, Nate Robinson, Maya Moore, Baron Davis and Ray Allen.

The incarnation of Uncle Drew said Jay Tucker, executive director of the Anderson Center of UCLA for the management of the company in media, entertainment and sports.

"Movies have legs that they did not have before," Einstein said. With streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, where a movie can be called on demand, the lifespan of a movie is longer than in the past. This represents an opportunity for brands to build their relationship with consumers over a long period of time, said Einstein.

There is more of this story at the Washington Post.



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