Brands are increasingly looking for new ways to reach audiences outside of traditional ads and marketing; learn why brand films are one of the best ways to do this.

Still frame via Patagonia’s Brand Film Lessons from Jeju

We can all agree that we're sick of the barrage of advertisements every day. From T.V., social media, roadside billboards, and radio, they're everywhere. Most of us overlook them, skip them as soon as possible, or pay a premium to get rid of them altogether. And it’s because of this that brands are looking for new ways to reach their audiences. Enter: Brand Films. By partnering with talented filmmakers, brands can produce something more creative and meaningful than those same old, repetitive ads. Brand films are an innovative way for companies to connect with their consumers through common interests and engaging narratives. Some of them may even pave a path to positive change.

Brand films have been around for a while, but they've become more popular in recent years because they deviate from conventional ‘in your face’ advertising techniques. Instead of overt advertisement, the point is that they tend to stay in the background and focus on the film’s narrative. The brand receives attention through the sharing of the film itself, press, social media, and other avenues that pertain to the initiatives.

Large companies like HP, Door Dash, and Phillips are some of the bigger names creating brand films. They aren’t all the same either. Sometimes they’re fictional short films that are emotional or action-packed with characters and a plot. Other times, they’re nonfictional and follow a documentarian style of filmmaking. In either case, they entertain and inform through quality narratives. And that’s why they work. Emotion is a prime factor in successful marketing. It’s the story that’s relatable and memorable — and those feelings become tied to the brand.

Now, especially as more consumers opt for brands that serve their communities and take a stand for larger world issues, such as the environment, inequality, breaking stigmas, and more, brand films have come to establish the brand’s role/solidarity in solving the issues presented in their films. Rallying behind the solution of real issues that their customers are passionate about is a pretty clever way to gain support. Let’s take a look at some great examples of this below.

1. Church’s Chicken

Some of my favorite brand films that I’ve seen are the award-winning mini-docs from a series called “Church’s Loves Communities.” The campaign created four separate short films focused on the historical culture and communities of Compton, St. Louis, San Antonio, and Atlanta.

Each one is told from the point of view of residents within the city, from community leaders to local artists and Church’s employees. All of them speak with a tone of optimism, and there’s a consistent look to the future with hope and deep love for their city.

9Rooftops, the agency that produced the docu-series for Church’s Chicken, said, “In a time of social unrest in urban areas across America, our goal was to shift perception from stories of ‘troubled neighborhoods’ to ‘communities focused on regeneration and optimism.’” Whether you live in these cities or not, each documentary is worth a watch to learn more about the people and communities. I also can’t help but point out how spectacular the filming and editing are as well.

Below, you can watch the brand film Church’s Loves Compton. Watch the rest of the brand films in this series by clicking on the featured images below.

Video: Church’s Loves Compton

2. Dove

Dove has been an advocate for embracing our natural beauty for many years, and the following is a great example of how brands can promote positive change through film production.

In 2019, the filmmaker Matthew A. Cherry produced an animated short film titled Hair Love, a heartwarming story about a little black girl learning to love her hair. Dove decided to sponsor the film because it was seen as an opportunity to bring awareness to the CROWN Act, a piece of legislation that ensures protection against the discrimination of race-based hairstyles in schools and the workplace.

The CROWN Act was created by Dove and the CROWN Coalition in partnership with California’s state senator, Holly J. Mitchell. But to drive the legislation, they needed to get the attention of many. So, they set their eyes on the Oscars. A “For Your Consideration” campaign was set in place to create lots of buzz around Hair Love in hopes that Matthew Cherry would win an Oscar that night. And you know what? He did! This put the CROWN Act center stage and garnered massive support. Rallying behind the film was about more than sharing an important message, rather it was a mission for actionable change in our country.

To further spread the word on Dove’s support, the brand hosted celebrity dinners and sponsored the hair and makeup of the film’s special guests on the evening of the Oscars. In the end, it elevated Dove’s consumer trust, produced an increase in their online impressions, and amassed tons of publicity. Who knew so much could be accomplished through a film and the people behind it. It really is a wonderful short. You can watch it below:

3. Patagonia

Patagonia has a whole page dedicated to the nearly 40 brand films they've produced. Like Church’s Chicken, Patagonia’s brand films also follow a documentarian style of filmmaking, some of which are less than 5 minutes and others run longer than an hour.

While the topics range from the environment to various types of sports and adventurers, they're always told from the perspective of real people and confront issues that their consumers care about and relate to.

As a company that supplies outdoor clothing and gear, it's clever how their films connect people and nature in a way that is very organic. Patagonia knows its audience well and their brand films show it.

Below is one of my favorites by them, Lessons from Jeju. It follows a professional freediver visiting South Korea while she is pregnant to gain inspiration and strength from the women of Jeju Island.

So, what do you think? Could your brand and consumers benefit from a brand film? What would it be about and why?

We’d love to work on it with you! Learn more about our video production services or click the button below to get in touch for a project quote.

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