Gallic advertising company Havas Media Sports and Entertainment Network is spearheading the branded entertainment movement in Paris, France. Like the ad trend in the US, the group is forging partnerships between Gallic producers and brands.
As asserted in Variety.com, “A merger of B6 Entertainment, Havas and Cake Group, the Sports & Entertainment division will be represented at two Mipcom events: Non-Traditional Branded Entertainment and Digital Innovation and panel Can Branded Entertainment Be Great? The Mipcom TV mart runs Oct. 13-17 in Cannes.”
Havas’ jump into content production activities show that branded entertainment is an emerging industry in the French advertising scene. Many credit this emergence to the establishment of the VOD, the Web, and of course, the recently ratified law that prohibits ads on pubcasters.
As one of its first projects, Havas teamed up with Nike to produce the “Frank Ribbery Show.” It’s basically a talk show that discusses the Euro 2008 soccer championship. Even though the French government prohibits product placement in TV programs, Havas managed to find subtle ways to knit sports brands in the show.
This development, along with the creation of Luc Besson’s Blue, represents the French ad industry’s desire to establish branded entertainment and product placement in the country—and why not? It’s an industry that is reeling in billions in the US.