– 22nd Feb 2017 –
Over the last few years, it’s become strikingly evident that more and more consumers are shifting their viewing habits away from the constraints of TV schedules and are opting for SVOD services such as Netflix & Amazon, Hulu, YouTube and live streaming platforms that allow them to watch what they want, when they want. With the growth of SVOD content, more and more brands are also migrating to these platforms, following their audiences by diverting budgets from traditional viewing channels to these platforms.
When ‘House of Cards’ was released in 2013, it became one of Netflix’s biggest original dramas, winning both Emmy’s and Golden Globes, making the broadcasters and brands stand up and take notice. While the streaming service is famously private for not releasing viewing figures or stats, it is safe to say that ‘House Of Cards’ has helped transfer the platform into a major player, with a rumoured 100million subscribers, many of which are eagerly awaiting the shows 5th season, airing in May.
While Netflix doesn’t carry any advertising, much to the frustration of media agencies, that hasn’t stopped brands benefitting from appearing in the actual shows, with ‘House Of Cards’ featuring the likes of Blackberry, One Plus Mobiles, Stella Artois and even the Agar.io app making prominent appearances.
Following the success of ‘House of Cards’, Netflix has gone on to commission a number of acclaimed shows such as ‘Orange is the New Black’, ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Sense 8’ as well as the British royal family drama series, ‘The Crown’, reported to have cost over £100million, the most expensive British commission of its time. With all these shows airing on Netflix’s international platforms, they offer the brands that appear invaluable international exposure.
Amazon too hasn’t wasted any time jumping onto the original content wagon, gaining huge success with commissioned shows like the Emmy and Golden Globe award winning ‘Transparent’, ‘The Man in The High Castle’ and Jeremy Clarkson’s ‘The Grand Tour’.
With SVOD companies investing millions into original programming and attracting the audiences, brands are looking at how to take advantage of the shows appeal and many SVOD platforms are willing to oblige. One of the first examples of this was Hulu’s miniseries, ‘Farmed and Dangerous’ – a comedy series exploring the morally-questionable farming practices of a fictional fast-food corporation. The show was created by fast food chain Chipotle and although there was no branding, the stories followed throughout led viewers to think about the issues Chipotle are considerate of, with the brand promoting its association with the show through marketing and social media activity.
With Seesaw Media working on a number of productions scheduled to air on the main SVOD platforms, for further details regarding brand integration opportunities, don’t hesitate to contact us on [email protected]