Andrew Hampp over at Ad Age wrote a comprehensive post about the rise of branded digital entertainment and the creative approaches brands are taking to use web video as a vehicle for making meaningful connections with consumers.  Unsurprisingly, I chimed in with a lengthy comment that I wanted to share here as well:

The branded entertainment market faces many challenges for brands and content creators in developing media experiences that are both entertaining and effective. But the biggest hurdle among them is reach in rising above the clutter in a highly saturated online space to get a series in front of the right audience who will a) be pre-disposed to the message, b) engage with the content, c) take some sort of brand action (as defined by marketing objectives) and d) share it.

To bring viewers along that continuum, it's critical to first identify the target audience and then craft compelling stories that will resonate specifically with that group (a la Break.com's vigilant focus on male-centric content). You can't make a personal connection with viewers unless the content is personally relevant to them.

So the content must be compelling enough that consumers identify with it and want to interact beyond just one episode. But creating branded content that piques interest is only half the battle; you need to put pull-through tactics in place to maintain interest and build the relationships and emotional affinity needed to drive some measurable value back to the sponsor brand.

An example of finely targeted branded content is McAfee's Stop H* Commerce that effectively generated increased downloads and purchase of their anti-virus software by setting up a need for their product in an entertaining (unbranded) way, and leading viewers to a buying conclusion right at the point of consumption after being emotionally impacted by the content.

The Old Spice commercial, 'The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,' has been making the rounds on Twitter and other social networks since the Super Bowl, and is largely accompanied by reprises of 'I'm on a horse' -- always a crowd favorite.  In fact, that line is now synonymous with the ad, a powerful statement about the effect digital can have on brand consumption and recall.

The ad has already spawned a slew of blog posts from industry professionals to consumers and lots of chatter (and excellent market insights) on the Facebook fan page. Even celebrities are chiming in like Rain Wilson, who tweeted that the "I'm on a horse!" guy (Isaiah Mustafa) should have his own show, and Leo Laporte was so enamored with the ad that he invited the creators from Wieden + Kennedy (Craig Allen, Eric Kallman) to TWiT.tv for a behind-the-scenes interview of how the commercial was conceived and executed. So, I think it's safe to say it's gone viral. And is a big hit.

But what I find even more compelling is how the overwhelmingly positive response has gone beyond just viral sharing to viral creation. Commercial parodies are certainly nothing new, and have been a part of pop culture since Saturday Night Live, but when brand content (and one peddling body wash, no less) makes an impact on consumers to the point that it inspires them to interact with it, and contribute to its message to make it their own, that's when the magic happens. Instead of the ad being disruptive, it becomes inclusive, and the benefactor of a highly personalized experience that is then shared with the creator's friends and family, and carried through into nooks and crannies of the market (and consumer mindshare) that no media buy could ever deliver.

Now more people are talking (and singing!) about Old Spice than ever before, and feel connected to the brand in a uniquely personal way. This is one of the reasons branded entertainment is effective -- because it allows you to generate awareness and affinity for the brand through emotional triggers of those who buy your products rather than overt messaging. (And let's face it, P&G knows that the best way to get men to use scented products is to appeal to the women who are fantasizing about the men in their commercials!) There’s no better way to connect on that level -- and influence behavior -- than through entertainment. That’s why commercials over the years have sought to entertain as much as advertise. Up until the dawn of web video and spreadable media, however, it’s been difficult to execute on both because you ended up serving neither well.  You had ads that didn't entertain and entertainment that didn't sell. And the reason it didn't sell was because there wasn't any pull-through. Consumers saw a fleeting ad and moved on with little memorability since the iconic days of 'Where's the Beef?' or 'Got Milk?'  Now you can immerse consumers in a campaign where they are equipped with tools to share it, adding their imprint -- and endorsement -- to it with every click (or with any ring thanks to the Old Spice whistling ring tone).  But all of which would not be possible without the brand that sparked it all.

Procter & Gamble knows this better than most brands, especially since they're the company who basically began branded entertainment when they realized they could effectively promote their products to the women who were home all day by creating resonant daytime TV programming.  And voilà, 'Guiding Light,' the longest running soap opera in history was born... and millions of dollars worth of detergent and household products were sold over the years.

I also came across one of their older Old Spice commercials, starring Bruce Campbell, that, while lacking the comedic punch of the Isaiah Mustafa spot, demonstrates a legacy of creating memorable content, and makes me wonder how this would've fared if tools like Twitter and Facebook had been around then.

One thing's for certain, they've definitely activated consumers and opened up new pockets of the market where scented body wash may never have gone before, but will the viral impressions create the level of engagement that leads to products flying off the shelves, or just leave people singing ad copy to the tune of John Denver's 'You Fill Up My Senses?'

I'm on a horse.