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Brands as Patrons of the Arts
We’re moving into a world where culture is being
catalysed by brands. Pepsi commented at SXSW:
“We see ourselves as a patron of the arts now.”
•
Through its Green Label Sound initiative,
PepsiCo’s Mountain Dew brand is investing in
and promoting new artists around the world. It
provides funding where traditional record labels
can no longer offer support to new bands.
•
Typical examples of branded content include
sponsored events and TV shows, online films
and ‘webisodes’. The Cuban rum brand Havana
Club even backed a successful feature-length
movie – 7 Days In Havana. Hyundai has also
moved into film production with its music
documentary Re:generation.
•
US footwear manufacturer Vans has always had
music at the core of its brand, and now extends
that to its House of Vans events, most famously
at SXSW. Doug Palladini, vice-president of
global marketing at Vans, points out that brands
“have a fan base just like the bands do now”
thanks to Facebook and Twitter. This enables
Vans to attract artists who want to reach that
fanbase and extend their own cultural footprint.
•
Created by American Express as a means for
delivering premium music experiences to fans
everywhere, the American Express Unstaged
music series is a cutting-edge live event and
interactive digital platform, in partnership with
vevo and YouTube, bringing together popular
musical artists with renowned film directors. The
latest in the series (the fourth to date) partners
the group Vampire Weekend with actor-director
Steve Buscemi.
Re:generation
© Hyundai
Green Label
Sound
©Mountain Dew
“We see
ourselves
as a patron
of the arts
now.”
Pepsi, commenting at SXSW 2013
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