Branded content examples

From cars, phones, and supermarkets, to online services and cosmetics, here are some examples of brands that have successfully teamed up with broadcasters to deliver engaging advertiser funded programmes.

Hellmann’s shows us how to cook clever and waste less

Hellmann’s had two objectives. They wanted to encourage reduction in food waste and raise awareness that their product is the perfect ingredient to turn leftovers into a delicious meal.

They created a 4-part prime time series called ‘Cook Clever, Waste Less’ that put the issue of food waste front and centre, engaging the audience to affect change. They enlisted top UK cook Prue Leith along with NHS GP and food expert Dr. Rupy Aujla to turn four British families from food wasters to waste warriors. The programme gave practical tips and money-saving advice.

The series ran on Channel 4 and they created a TV ad that ran first in break in each episode. They also produced a downloadable recipe book as a useful resource to help people combat their food waste at home.

You can read more about this here

eBay & Channel 4’s Bangers – Mad for Cars

The cost-of-living crisis and rising garage costs have given rise to the ‘right to repair’ movement with more people fixing their cars themselves. eBay were looking to drive awareness that their website is a great destination for people wanting to buy car parts and accessories. They wanted to empower people to fix their cars themselves and show them how eBay’s car parts have allowed their cars to live on.

They created a 4 x 60 minute programme called ‘Bangers: Mad for Cars’ which ran on Channel 4. It starred Tinie Tempah and F1 driver Naomi Schiff who, in each episode, engaged in challenges to find the best Banger in a car category.

In the programme, Tinie would use the eBay app to buy the much-needed parts and there were key moments in the show where eBay could feature in editorially relevant ways. The show had over 2 million viewers and delivered some excellent results for eBay. You can read more about it here

Walkers – Crisp in or crisp out?

Walkers sought to reassert their category dominance and they wanted to generate a debate about whether crisps should be put in a sandwich or not by creating some branded content. The objective was to engage consumers at scale during the lunchtime occasion.

Research uncovered that families were in fact putting all sorts of crisps into their sandwiches but they felt ashamed to admit it. Walkers needed to find some trusted faces bold enough to debate the topic with the masses. They found their solution with ITV’s Loose Women.

The campaign launched with an ‘as live’ ad break takeover in Loose Women on ITV. As the commercial break started, viewers saw the cameras ‘accidentally carry on rolling’ with the cast of Loose Women debating whether it was OK or not to put crisps in sandwiches. This content took over the full 3 ½ minute ad break.

They also created cut-down spots that ran in key programmes on ITV to generate debate and showcase the content to a wider audience. You can read more about it here.

Audi Performance Zone

Within the very competitive car market, technology and innovation is where Audi shines. However, they are always on the lookout for ways to communicate their leadership in these areas. They partnered with Sky Sports to become their innovation partner. In the first year, they introduced an in-coverage cricket innovation called the ‘Power Meter’ which measured the speed and power behind a cricket shot. In the second year, they wanted to raise the bar higher.

They created branded content that saw Audi-inspired technology become part of Sky Sports Golf coverage. An entire studio became the ‘Audi Performance Zone’ which showcased two different ways for golfers to improve their game. Golf fans will gain a unique understanding into how the best players in the world create speed, balance, power and accuracy and then they will be able to apply these insights into improving their own golf game. You can read

Cooking with the Stars & M&S

M&S wanted to demonstrate that they have a broad range of food and offer all the ingredients you need to make a delicious meal. They partnered with ITV to co-fund the six-part series ‘Cooking with the Stars’.

The show is hosted by Emma Willis and Tom Allan and features eight celebrities who are paired with professional chefs to compete against each other.

The advertiser is fully integrated into the fabric of the show and the assets from the show have been utilised in every element of the marketing estate such as social media, online and in-store with recipe cards, branded display units and a giant cuddly Chef Percy.

Around 200 M&S Food products and ingredients appear over the course of a series and the sponsorship idents feature specific products from that week’s show such as Maris Piper potatoes or fillet steak.

To date, there have been four series of this show running on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm.

You can read more about it here