Droga5 makes movie for Mini with no Mini branding
In a marketing move that recalls the groundbreaking work produced by BMW Films, Droga5 and Mini have produced a new 12-minute short film by Oscar nominated director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Favourite) and starring Matt Dillon. Nimic is about a professional cellist and “an encounter he has on the subway which has unexpected and far-reaching ramifications on his life.”
The short, which debuted at the Locarno Film Festival this past weekend, reportedly has no Mini brand presence at all. David Kolbusz, chief creative officer of Droga5 London, told Adweek that the absence of branding makes it difficult to even call the film “branded content.”
“Nimic was made in partnership with Mini as part of their ongoing commitment to celebrate the power of creativity,” reads a statement on the website of German producers Rekorder. “Thinking outside the box has always driven Mini’s engagement, as their patronage of Nimic demonstrates.”
Nike launches subscription service
Kids feet grow quickly, which means parents sometimes feel like they’re constantly shopping for shoes. To address that consumer pain point, Nike introduced a new solution Monday. Nike Adventure Club is a subscription service that will regularly send shoes to subscribers homes.
The service is intended for kids with shoes sizes 4C to 7Y (roughly ages 2 to 10) and has three levels: 12 pairs a year, six pairs a year and four pairs a year. Kids can choose from 100 different styles of Nike and Converse shoes.
“In providing footwear, we’re always trying to answer, ‘What do kids want?’” said Dominique Shortell, director of product experience and retention for Nike Adventure Club, in a Nike blog post. “But an equally important question is, ‘What kind of experience are we providing for their parents?’ We want to make shopping for footwear as convenient as possible for them.”
British government considers new crackdown on harmful video content
The British government is considering giving its broadcast regulator Ofcom (Britain’s CRTC) the power to fine Facebook, YouTube and other video-sharing platforms for failing to prevent youth from being exposed to violence, pornography or other harmful content. According to published reports, fines could reach 5% of revenues, and violators could even be blocked in the U.K.
S4 buys influencer marketing firm
Martin Sorrell has made another deal to grow his new marketing services holding company S4, spending a reported €10 million on influencer marketing specialists IMA. “This merger is yet another example of our focus on top line growth,” Sorrell said. “Influencer marketing is an important sub-set of the digital content marketing industry and is predicted to double in size over the next three years.”
Amsterdam based IMA, which has grown to 85 employees since its 2010 launch, will be merged with MediaMonks, Sorrell’s first marquee acquisition after launching S4 last year.
Heinz giving away Ed Sheeran tattoo bottles
Canadian fans of Heinz Ketchup and/or Ed Sheeran are being given a chance to win one of 150 very limited edition bottles of Heinz Ketchup inspired by the popular English singer’s tattoos.
Sheeran is a well-known fan of the ketchup, and even has a Heinz tattoo. Inspired by that homage, Heinz has created bottles covered by Sheeran tattoo art, with each bottle signed by the singer himself. Some of the bottles will be sold at auction with money raised going to charity, while others will be awarded through a free draw.
