This is how brands in sizes from Airbnb up to Patagonia have utilized feature-length films to reach out to a broader public.
Short-form media on mobile devices has rendered our interactions with the content we consume too fleeting, According to Dan Mace, a 32-year-old award-winning filmmaker and the founder of JOE Films. The creative agency based in Los Angeles has created movies in collaboration with Warner Bros and Discovery and produced $1.6 million in revenue per year in 2023.
Although short-form content posted on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram can engage users on an intimate level, many people “two swipes later are experiencing a new connection and an entirely new feeling,” Mace declares. This is why it is becoming increasingly more work for brands to communicate a compelling message with short-form content.
The situation changes when long-form content is introduced. A study conducted by the journal of science Learning & Memory found that those who watched a 27-minute narrative show could recall numerous moments from the film years after. One way for brands to create a lasting connection with their customers is by telling longer-form narratives. Brands like Nike, Patagonia, and Airbnb have used this strategy.
Three reasons why your company should look into investing in content that is long-form.
Cause-based films help build brand recognition.
The year 2014 was the time that Patagonia created DamNation. This film focuses on the damage to the environment that dams cause and an increasing understanding that our future depends on the health and life of the rivers we depend on. The message in the film was akin to Patagonia’s mission statement, which has been since 2018 “We’re in business to save our home planet.” Patagonia collected more than 625 million impressions on the media from the film, earning many awards. The film also led to 70,000 people signing an online petition to demand legislation that addresses deadbeat dams.
“The best-sponsored feature films are not long advertisements riddled with invasive product placement,” Mace adds. Mace. “It’s an authentic story that makes sense for the brand to tell.”
Stories that are personal connect audiences.
Airbnb in the year 2019 released its first feature film, Gay Chorus Deep South, which is a documentary about the gay men’s chorus during their tour of all of the Southeastern U.S. One of the objectives of the film was to spark discussion about inclusion and to advertise Airbnb’s “Belong Anywhere” brand proposition. Airbnb realized a return on its investment through the film, which screened in more than 350 festivals, and was seen by millions of people using YouTube’s streaming services Paramount Plus, according to director David Charles Rodrigues.
Long-form works alongside short-form projects.
One of the main reasons feature-length films are an excellent method to improve your connection with your audience is that they are the basis for developing other content. For instance, companies can make long-form films that resonate with their audience and then expand on that story by telling similar stories via different media like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.
Ricky Roxburgh, a screenwriter who has worked on television and film for companies like Disney and Dreamworks, explained his experience that “almost every show I’ve worked on has been a derivative of a feature film. Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure was a 77-episode show built from one line in the movie.”
Matthew Luhn, a story writer, and artist who has worked on famous Pixar films like Toy Story, Monsters Inc, and Up, believes that brands must create stories based on universal themes to reach the largest possible audience. “There are desires we all share: love, safety, and the ability to choose our fate,” Luhn states. “Whether life insurance, a data company, sales, or marketing, you can work those universal themes into your story and brand.”
