Living in Harmony: Content Marketing & Advertising
By Staff | February 5, 2014
The multi-pronged ad campaign of Anchorman 2 was creative, innovative and in-your-face, and we like the combination of unique content marketing with traditional advertising.
The line between content marketing and traditional advertising seems more blurred by the day. And we say, why not? As the effectiveness on content marketing amongst consumers continues to rise, marketers are increasingly incorporating content marketing tactics into their advertising campaigns and promotions.
A fantastic example of the creative approaches emerging from this integration is the cross-platform campaign of Anchorman 2. In lieu of a big-bucks promo campaign, movie marketers rolled out to consumers a broad range of buzz-worthy pieces of original Ron Burgundy content across multiple mediums. There were social media accounts from the characters, fake interviews with celebrities, promotions for mainstream products and companies such as Dodge, and even ice cream flavors—most of which, by the way, actually never mention the upcoming film.
It was genius. And people loved it.
But the marketers of Anchorman 2 aren’t the only ones employing inventive strategies that focus almost exclusively on creating compelling content. Other recent films such as Devil’s Due and the Carrie remake used similar techniques—both offer examples of how the marriage of content marketing and traditional advertising can result in harmony, in the form of viral, creative and intriguing campaigns.
Call it content marketing; call it traditional advertising; call it promotions or product placement. We call it all of the above, with a focus on compelling storytelling showcased in an engaging and sharable way.
For more info, check out Andrew Davies’ recent post outlining the five things he believes Anchorman 2 taught us about content marketing.
Read next: Content Marketing vs. Advertising: What’s the Difference, Again?
