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When it comes to the future of entertainment, brands are everything—Hollywood’s just Ken.
Greta Gerwig’s Mattel-derived 2023 blockbuster proved that millions of people would spend billions of dollars to live in a Barbie world for two hours. And as far as Oscar-winning manager-producer Michael Sugar is concerned, that movie is just the tip of the brand-enabled premium entertainment iceberg that’s poised to bring a sea change to the film and television industry.
“Our belief is that almost every brand is its own Barbie,” the founder and CEO of the Sugar23 production company observed on Tuesday at ADWEEK’s Brandweek conference. In fact, Sugar said that he sees a world in which Ted Lasso is an Adidas joint, while Goldman Sachs is the creative incubator for Billions or Succession.
“I believe that brands can communicate to an audience and to its consumers through entertainment in a different way,” emphasized Sugar, who was joined onstage by Ramon Soto, svp and chief marketing officer for Northwell Health, and Maurice Cooper, chief customer officer for Bath & Body Works. “There’s a consumer on the other side that wants to understand the brand, and they want to feel understood by the brand.”
Here are three test cases the trio cited for how companies can move beyond commercials and product integrations into producing entertainment that makes consumers feel as much passion for brands as Ken feels for beach:
