Edited by Cannes Lions 2017 Entertainment Jury president PJ Pereira, and featuring a collection of essays contributed by jurors who drew on their wealth of experience and expertise from the marketing and entertainment worlds, "The Art of Branded Entertainment" will be available worldwide as a special digital pre-release and in paperback on select bookshelves in the UK on June 14, 2018. It will be available at retailers worldwide on October 4, 2018.
This is the first book ever written by a Cannes Lions jury and is an exploration of what makes compelling entertainment content. "The Art of Branded Entertainment" delves into the wide range of entries submitted to the annual Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity by thousands of agencies worldwide. It identifies the factors that enable content to inspire and leave a lasting impression on viewers. The book examines the benefits of branded entertainment and the value of earning consumer interest among audiences that are becoming increasingly harder to reach, in a world quickly shifting its attention to on-demand platforms not necessarily supported by ads. It addresses the need for brands to find new ways to create an effective entertainment presence, and offers unique insight into alternative techniques that companies can use to make their brand stand out from the competition. "The Art of Branded Entertainment" offers an experienced look at how content has changed over the years and continues to evolve in the digital era, while highlighting the most effective ways to balance brand messaging and consumer engagement.
“There is an entire generation who has never seen a commercial break until recently. They have been educated to believe they can choose what they watch, and they are right,” said editor and Jury president Pereira. “The idea of return on investment is changing. We were trained to ask if an idea was worthy of the company’s money. Now we need to learn to answer if it is worthy of consumers’ time too.” In "The Art of Branded Entertainment," Pereira and his fellow jurors explore this new territory, where brands have to compete for an opportunity to be heard against all of the unbranded content on the planet, and offer insight on how to navigate the future.
“The supremacy of interruption-based advertising is over,” said Dr. Bjoern Asmussen, sr. lecturer in marketing, Oxford Brookes University. “But what happens next?” he asked. “PJ Pereira and the other experts help us to understand the consequences of this radical shift through 'The Art of Branded Entertainment.'”
"The Art of Branded Entertainment" is broken into four parts. Part 1 – The Need, focuses on the ways in which branded entertainment can elevate a brand and how it can be integrated with other marketing efforts. Part 2 – The Art, addresses the creative ways in which brands can infiltrate the entertainment landscape. Part 3 – The Opportunities, reveals uncharted territory that brands need to explore, in order to uncover new audiences. And, finally, Part 4 – The Business, is dedicated to the business of branded entertainment and how to form a true partnership that benefits all parties involved.
The importance of the book goes beyond the author’s roles as award show judges. As Philip Thomas, incoming chairman of Cannes Lions, said, “The Art of Branded Entertainment is an illuminating exploration of the evolving terrain of branded entertainment from the experts themselves – an essential reading for industry insiders.”
"The Art of Branded Entertainment" features contributions from 15 jurors comprised of: Ricardo Dias, CMO of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Grupo Modelo in Mexico; Gabor Harrach, the New York-based film and TV producer and former head of entertainment content at Red Bull Media House; Marcelo Páscoa, head of global brand marketing at Burger King; Monica Chun, president of PMK.BNC; Pelle Sjoenell, Bartle Bogle Hegarty’s worldwide chief creative officer; Jason Xenopoulos, VML global chief vision officer and EMEA chief creative officer; Tomoya Suzuki, CEO of STORIES and STORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC; Luciana Olivares, CCO of Latina Media in Peru and CEO of Boost, Brand Accelerator; Misha Sher, VP at MediaCom Sport & Entertainment; Toan Nguyen, partner at Jung von Matt/SPORTS; Marissa Nance, managing director for Multicultural Content Marketing & Strategic Partnerships at Media Superpower OMD; Jules Daly, former president of RSA Films and now founder of Big Red Films; Carol Goll, ICM Partners’ global head of branded entertainment; Samantha Glynne, global VP of branded entertainment at TV production giant Fremantle Media, and Pereira, founder and creative chairman of Pereira O’Dell.
The initiative doesn’t come unnoticed by the industry. Fernando Machado, CMO of Burger King, praised the idea, saying, “The Art of Branded Entertainment is a must read in case you want to answer ‘Senator, we run great content’ instead of ‘Senator, we run ads,’ during a congressional hearing.”
To celebrate the release of "The Art of Branded Entertainment," contributors Glynne, Harrach and Pascoa will host a panel during Cannes Lions 2018, on “15 Things We Learned about Branded Entertainment.” The 30-minute discussion, taking place at 10:30 am on Wednesday, June 20, at the Spotlight Stage in Palais II, will bring the 2017 Branded Entertainment Jury members back together for their first collective appearance, for the first ever book by a Cannes Jury, to discuss what they learned. Pereira and other contributors will also be on-hand at the book launch party on Tuesday, June 19 from 7:30-9:30pm at 35 Blvd De La Croisette in Cannes. For more information about "The Art of Branded Entertainment," click here.
