Appropriate," "non-intrusive," "non-egregious" and "non-in your face."
These were the words chosen by William Morris Consulting agent Aaron Lenzini to describe the best way for General Motors (GM) to be integrated into entertainment content. William Morris Consulting represents GM corporate for entertainment projects.
Lenzini in essence said that in order for GM to get positive value in its entertainment endeavors, the brand has to be a "non-intrusive," natural part of that content.
His comments came in SHOOT’s front-page 3/26 story on The Last Ride, a TV movie for the USA Network, which at press time was about to wrap shooting in San Diego. The film’s executive producers are: feature/commercial director Rob Cohen; Bruce Mellon, who is founder/ executive producer of bicoastal Original Film (which is Cohen’s spotmaking home); and independent producer Angela Mancuso, a former senior executive with Universal TV.
The project is of particular interest to the ad community in that GM and its Pontiac division are integrally involved, planning to promote the telefilm with theatrical feature-like fanfare while gaining marketing and branding mileage for Pontiac’s GTO automobile. Two generations of the GTO—the vintage classic ’69 model and the new ’04 car—are woven into the plot. But the key is that they take a backseat to the entertainment value of the film, which is character-driven, exploring the relationship among three generations of a family. The cast includes Dennis Hopper, Will Patton, Chris Carmack and Fred Ward. The telefilm’s director is Guy Norman Bee.
While GM had early access to the creative process through Cohen and USA, said Lenzini, the carmaker had no representatives in the pitch meetings. Furthermore, he noted, "Pontiac did not ask for nor do they have creative approval over the movie."
What GM will exert over the movie is its promotion and marketing muscle. "We’re taking a made-for-TV movie and marketing and presenting it like it is a major theatrical release," said Lenzini. "The production values, the use of national television, the use of the Internet, the integration of music into the movie and into the marketing and promotion of The Last Ride will be similar in tone and texture to a theatrical feature film."
According to Lenzini, plans call for Pontiac and its agency chemistri, Troy, Mich., to work "hand-in-hand" with the USA Network and its agency/creative resources to create a unified look and feel to their respective campaigns to promote The Last Ride.
Lenzini put William Morris’ role relative to its relationship to GM in perspective. He noted that GM doesn’t have an issue with awareness—people know the GM brands such as Chevy, Pontiac, Cadillac, et cetera. Furthermore, GM has a broad-based dealer network for presenting and selling vehicles.
But what entertainment content offers GM is its ability to affect opinion and the image of—and consumer consideration for—GM products. "By telling General Motors’ stories through entertainment, we can positively impact image, opinion and consideration for their product," observed Lenzini. "What we at William Morris Consulting do is help to identify the right opportunities, people and organizations through which those people can tell the General Motors story in a natural, relevant way.
"That’s what attracted us to The Last Ride," he continued. "This movie goes beyond the concept of product integration or product placement. The important factor is that the attitude of the product is in the film. The story itself and how it helps reflect the story, spirit and mystique and heritage of the GTO brand is there, whether the car is on screen or not."
