The entertainment landscape is undergoing a remarkable transformation. With advances in technology and shifts in audience behavior, the barriers that once delineated separate realms — such as content creation, content distribution, and advertising — are dissolving. This unprecedented convergence presents boundless opportunities for brands to become active participants in the storytelling arena. Cathy Boxall and Geneva Wasserman from dentsu Entertainment share their insights on the state of the industry, the role of AI, and the potential of brand-funded content.
The New Age of Brand Storytelling and Funded Content
Dentsu Entertainment operates as a unique practice area within the larger Dentsu organization, uniting entertainment specialists who come from diverse backgrounds in studios, production, partnerships, original content creation, and content distribution.
Brands now have more entry points into the entertainment spectrum than ever before. They can engage in sponsorship, product placement, or even co-create original stories from the ground up. One exciting case study is Procter & Gamble Studios, which partners with creators to develop intellectual properties that are both organic to their audiences and financially rewarding. They aim to participate in the entire creative process, from inception to economic benefit.
The opportunity for brands to own IP and be integral to storytelling is not just theoretical. Dentsu Entertainment has successfully executed projects like the Amazon Prime show for ABI, which addressed a business challenge by showcasing the craft behind commercial lager production, and a show for Birra Moretti that resulted in a 78 percent uplift in sales on Amazon Prime. These initiatives demonstrate that brand involvement in content creation can drive not only brand awareness but also direct sales and business impact.
Authenticity and Audience Engagement Strategies
One of the primary concerns for brands entering the content creation space is maintaining authenticity. Essentially, the content must be entertainment-first and audience-led to get buy-in from major platforms like Netflix and Amazon. This ensures that the story resonates with audiences on its own merit, without feeling like an advertorial.
To achieve this, dentsu Entertainment evaluates each project through the lens of whether it can stand alone without a brand's involvement. They consider the story's relevance, engagement potential, and the best medium for its delivery. This meticulous approach has resulted in successful collaborations like the Azuki project, which creatively translates NFT characters into traditional anime formats, thereby marrying new and traditional art forms.
The Transformative Potential of AI Entertainment
Artificial Intelligence is another frontier that's shaping the future of entertainment. Generative AI can enable branch narratives — akin to choose-your-own-adventure stories — making content more customizable and interactive. For example, with AI, a viewer watching a Batman movie could shift perspectives mid-scene, exploring the story from the vantage point of a secondary character. This opens infinite possibilities for new narratives and brand integrations.
AI also offers practical advantages, such as reducing time to market by optimizing editing and post-production processes. Despite some industry concerns about AI replacing human jobs, AI should be viewed as a tool that aids rather than replaces human creativity. Current copyright laws mandate human involvement in content creation, ensuring a vital role for artists and writers in the AI-enhanced future of storytelling.
Expanding the Cross-Platform Content Ecosystem
Gaming and sports are increasingly being recognized as integral parts of the entertainment sphere, showing significant overlap with traditional content. For instance, Dentsu’s teams have worked on projects that leverage the immersive potential of gaming environments to engage younger audiences. Additionally, Dentsu's strength in anime — a genre with a fervent global fanbase — illustrates the potential for cross-platform reach. 41% of Gen Z in the U.S. engage weekly with anime and manga, underscoring the opportunities for brands to tap into passionate fandoms.
The Vision for the Future of Immersive Marketing
Looking ahead, we envision a future where brands are seamlessly woven into the fabric of the entertainment ecosystem. Brands will become not just advertisers but as producers and financiers, fully integrated into the storytelling process. By breaking down traditional silos between advertising and programming, the industry can foster a richer, more interactive landscape where brands and audiences co-create value.