Don't be a Zombie Brand #OgilvyCannes #CannesLions

Don't be a Zombie Brand #OgilvyCannes #CannesLions

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  Don’t be a zombie brandlessonsfrom The Walking Dead Philip Ellis B y J e r e my K at z , W o r l d w i d e E d i t o r i a l D i r e c to r , O g i lv y & M at h e r
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  D o n’ t b e a z o m b i e b r a n d – l e s s o n s f r o m T h e W a l k i n g D e a d P h i l i p E l l i s MediaCom’s Jon Gittings picked the delicious brains of The Walking Dead star Steven Yeun, executive producer Dave Alpert and AMC network CEO Josh Sapan, to find out what brands can learn from blood, guts and zombie attacks.
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  D o n’ t b e a z o m b i e b r a n d – l e s s o n s f r o m T h e W a l k i n g D e a d P h i l i p E l l i s Storytelling should be dangerous “[Fans] care about characters in a way that is really visceral,” says Josh Sapan, CEO of the AMC network. Part of The Walking Dead’s appeal is that your favourite character could be killed off at any moment. Nobody is safe, and viewers actually enjoy having narrative conventions pulled out from under them – as long as it makes sense within the story. 1
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  D o n’ t b e a z o m b i e b r a n d – l e s s o n s f r o m T h e W a l k i n g D e a d P h i l i p E l l i s Marketing shouldn’t feel like marketing The Walking Dead’s companion show, The Talking Dead, is popular among fans because it’s not seen as a premeditated marketing exercise; the creators of the show are as passionate about the stories and characters as the viewers. 2
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  D o n’ t b e a z o m b i e b r a n d – l e s s o n s f r o m T h e W a l k i n g D e a d P h i l i p E l l i s Guts and GIFs Steven Yeun, who plays Glenn, believes that the wealth of fan-created content online is an untapped resource when it comes to shaping future seasons. “It could be terrible, or it could be awesome,” he says. Stories based on memes? Count us in. 3
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  D o n’ t b e a z o m b i e b r a n d – l e s s o n s f r o m T h e W a l k i n g D e a d P h i l i p E l l i s What the zombie apocalypse tells us about consumers Cultural attitudes will always influence how consumers engage with a story; for example, an American or Briton is likely to immerse themselves in a survivalist mentality. The Europeans, on the other hand, would adopt a more pragmatic approach, i.e. sit around and wait for orders. 4