After decades in the advertising sector, I have firsthand experience with the relationship between entertainment and advertising. For example, while in college studying communications with a focus on public relations, I had the following internships that exemplify this relationship well:
- Group Sales and Marketing at Olympia Entertainment (Detroit Fox Theater, Tigers baseball, and Red Wing hockey)
- Artist Development at Universal Music
- Internal Public Relations at WXYZ TV Channel 7 (local ABC affiliate)
To further demonstrate the enormous amount of crossover between our two industries, here is a list to consider:
- Awards shows
- Hall of Fame locations and ceremonies with inductees
- Limo transportation to red-carpet events
- Product placements
- Celebrity endorsements
- Hanging out with other famous people is a regular occurrence
- Employ marketing tactics to persuade their audiences
- Specialists at tugging at their fans’ heartstrings
- Sponsorships and partnerships
- Fun and crazy excursions disguised as retreats or team-building exercises
- Extensive involvement in nonprofit initiatives
An article titled How Entertainment and Advertising Can Mutually Benefit One Another from the ad experts at Adweek shares, “I remember being taught that advertising exists at the junction of art and commerce. The combination of such instinctively opposite things; a huge breadth of different types of people ultimately trying to combine the intangibles of ideas and creativity, with the very tangible of clients’ business results. And maybe even agency profit.
However, these days advertising is moving closer to an existence that lives at the intersection of entertainment and commerce, and it is the brands that can learn to harness the fruits of this powerful new position that will come out on top.
The ad industry has always used entertainment, but we used to be just subservient and peripheral,”.
There is also the term advertainment, which reflects the intertwining relationship between advertising and entertainment. Typically, it refers to media combining various forms of entertainment (television, movies, songs, etc.) with advertising elements to promote products or brands.
Entertainment marketing has a lot in common with both general marketing and public relations. They’re all designed to fulfill customer needs (like marketing) and to create mutually beneficial relationships between a brand and its audiences (like PR).
The role of mass media in entertainment is to inform and entertain. Mass media provide information about events, artists, films, and other topics, as well as background information. Because of mass media, people know more about the entertainment industries, productions, personalities, and issues.
As with celebrity endorsements, actors rely on charisma to win over audiences, and advertisers bank on the star power of celebrities to influence consumers. Because who needs convincing logic when you have Paul McCartney casually sipping on a Pepsi while playing the piano to “Please, Please Me”?
Advertainment is a term that reflects the intertwining relationships between advertising and entertainment. Usually, it refers to media combining various forms of entertainment (television, movies, songs, etc.) with advertising elements to promote products or brands.
So, what other types of advertising are there?
(Photo Credit: Michael Myers Wayne’s World character and Pizza Hut / Brafton Marketing)
What are the 4 types of advertising?
The four basic types of advertising include digital advertising, traditional, such as TV, radio, or print, Outdoor (billboards or transit), and direct mail. There is also social media advertising, as well as display and email marketing efforts.
The company I have worked with for more than twenty years pivoted from being exclusively a commercial photography group to a full-service digital marketing firm. We focus on Seo (search engine optimization), SEM (search engine marketing/online ads), and YouTube consulting.
We still do commercial photography with specialties in food, people, and architectural interiors, as well as interiors, but today, our digital marketing clients far outweigh the photography clients.
According to an article from ad firm Ramotion, they share about, “Emerging Advertising Trends.
So, what’s next in advertising? Below are emerging types of advertising you shouldn’t miss.
- Influencer Marketing
- Programmatic Advertising (a breakthrough strategy that uses advanced digital tools to automate media buying)
- AI-Powered Advertising,”.
Why is entertainment important in advertising?
Entertainment marketing allows us to market products or brands in ways that consumers enjoy and are inclined to share. Entertaining content drives significantly more engagement than static content, making it a compelling marketing strategy.
Just think about the NFL Super Bowl game, packed with advertisements at the top of the heap, award-winning, entertaining, and engaging. So much so that there are a large number of people who do not even like football who watch the Championship game just for the ads!
Here are some of the awards people in advertising can achieve:
ADDY Awards: Recognize and celebrate the best creative work in advertising across various categories and mediums.
Mosaic Awards: Honors outstanding efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion in the advertising industry.
Cannes Lions Awards: Considered one of the most prestigious advertising awards globally, it recognizes excellence in creative communications across different disciplines.
- Clios
Clios Awards: Acknowledge creative and innovative work in advertising, design, and communications on a global scale.
One Show: Recognizes excellence in advertising, design, interactive, and branded entertainment on an international level.
- Effie Worldwide
Effie Awards: Focuses on recognizing and celebrating marketing effectiveness by highlighting campaigns that have achieved significant results.
- D&AD (Design and Art Direction)
D&AD Awards: Recognizes outstanding creativity and design across various disciplines, including advertising, design, and digital.
Brand Genius Awards: Celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of advertising and marketing by creating successful and impactful campaigns.
Webby Awards: Recognizes excellence in digital advertising, websites, apps, and online media.
- International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS)
Lovie Awards: Honors excellence in European internet and digital media across various categories.
- Association of National Advertisers (ANA)
REGGIE Awards: Recognizes and celebrates the best-integrated marketing campaigns that drive business results.
Relationship between entertainment and advertising
In conclusion, entertainment and advertising are deeply interconnected industries that thrive on creativity, storytelling, and audience engagement, creating mutually beneficial partnerships that drive modern marketing success.