The Beat of Branded Content

Some think of branded content as a new idea in the advertising arena. It may be a relatively new term, but entertainment values have been an important aspect of advertising since there was advertising.

Call it the reward theory of communication if you like. As communicators, we borrow attention from our audiences, and we owe them something in return:  Enjoyment.

On one conceptual level, the "Game Before The Game" invites you to recognize key aspects of the psychological theory of trying: attitudes toward success, failure, and the preparation to succeed. There is also the obvious factor of source credibility or celebrity endorsement with a product demonstration throughout the message.

And, the story itself invokes the cognitive theory of emotions. A father's prayer, the athletes prepare, the audience anticipates, the event arrives, go with God.

But more than anything, this commercial comes on like a cultural force driven by the beat of the music. It is an artistic total form from beginning to end. And, of course, it asks for the order.

  Copyright © 2014 by John Eighmey. All Rights Reserved.