Morgan Spurlock is a man who has voluntarily subjected himself to going to prison, working in coal mines and war zones, and eating a ‘healthy’ diet of cheeseburgers for a year. Needless to say it is no surprise that for his recent TED Talk he decided to demonstrate the power of his most recent project, brand marketing, by selling the naming rights to his talk.
Morgan Spurlock is known for his independent films that examine human behavior and societal issues by turning them into engaging and thought provoking entertainment. In his quest to make his newest film, “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold“, Spurlock dove into the world of brand marketing to examine the “real story” behind the products we use and where they are placed and why. He was under the assumption however, as most of us are, that all press is good press and that the goal is to reach as many people as possible with your message. However, after quickly being turned away by almost every advertising agency and company leader he met with, Spurlock realized there is more.
Brands want to tell a story, but it may not be the “real” one. It is their story they want to tell and they want to dictate how you will tell it. So how do you find companies and brands who are willing to bite on your big idea? You have to find your brand. As Spurlock would come to find, his brand of being “mindful and playful” probably did not match with many of the brands he was seeking. He needed to find brands similar to his own in order to make this film a success.
In January of 2011, “POM Wonderful presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” debuted at the Sundance Film Festival with an amazing reception. The movie hasn’t even been made available yet and is has had over 9 million media hits. The other sponsors and products placed in the film? Brands like Seventh Generation, Jet Blue, Old Navy and Mini Cooper. All brands that can relate to being “mindful and playful.”
Oh, and Spurlock’s talk was brought to you by EMC for $7,100.
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