Influx

P&G’s Downy brand has gone all soft and emotional as it embarks on its Feel More campaign. One strange and surprising extension of the communication plan has been the involvement of Gen Art and filmmakers to create films to provoke thinking.

To lift directly from the press release..

“Throughout the years, the Downy brand has evoked certain emotional
reactions and connections that, lately, are overcome by the hustle and
bustle of everyday life,” said Marty Vanderstelt, Brand Manager, Downy,
North America. “As consumers are spending more time blogging rather
than hugging, we wanted to show people that it’s important to embrace
their emotions and appreciate life’s moments. By partnering with Gen
Art and these four filmmakers, the Downy brand is encouraging people to
take a moment to slow down and experience every emotion that life
creates.”

On many levels this could easily be seen as jumping on the bandwagon of brands moving into the arts and non-traditional just for the sake of it, but I think there’s something in the fact that the brand is brave enough to stand for something bigger than itself, to shift itself into the unfamiliar world of the arts and to trust brand expression to filmmakers and artists.

Posted by Ed Cotton