Retail therapy the Prada way
I don't know what you call this (ahem 'brandvertising' perhaps?) but I like it. In the presence of branded content like this, traditional advertising formats seem particularly archaic especially in light of the fact that today's consumer is more cynical than ever before about advertising that serves only to shout the words "LOOK AT ME, BUY ME!!".
Granted this film is much longer than your average TV ad slot and other than previewing during the halftime break in an episode of Made in Chelsea, I'm not sure where it would fit on our screens if it were to be featured on the box in the first place.
Potential advert material or not, I like this because it gives the brand character, it displays a healthy combination of wit and irony and its simplicity makes it memorable. Attributing the right human characteristics and personality to a brand is vital to helping the brand connect to people regardless of the depth of their pockets.
The actual brand references made in this short narrative are quite subtle and I think that adds to making the film so effective. There is of course the gravitas associated with the luxury brand Prada that attracts the talent of Roman Polanski (director) and actors Helena Bonham Carter and Sir Ben Kingsley - you wouldn't find this talent pulling a stunt like this for Next - but still this film shows that sometimes a subtle brand message can be more powerful that an aggressive exclamation.
