At Pressboard, we’re invested in growing the sponsored content industry. We’re dedicated to building up the industry as whole, whether that involves connecting advertisers and publishers through our own platform or celebrating the incredible work of our peers. That’s why we write about our favorite sponsored content campaigns every month. So without further ado, here are 10 incredible pieces of sponsored content that publishers and advertisers created together in November, 2018.
“Brand Legacy” – Multiple Publishers + Le Creuset
After almost 100 years of crafting their hardy, high-performance cookware, Le Creuset certainly has a story to tell. This campaign was placed on multiple Canadian publishers, including Canadian Living and FASHION, and focused on highlighting the aspects of Le Creuset’s history that make it such an iconic brand. Though each story outlined the history of the brand in an engaging way, the Canadian Living piece leveraged the voices of three food bloggers to lend a personal touch to the copy — making it a great fit for the publisher’s food- and culture-oriented audience.
(Disclosure: this content was published through Pressboard’s platform)
“New York Minute” – WSJ. Custom Studios + United Airlines
This collaboration between WSJ. Custom Studios and United Airlines takes an innovative look at transportation in the city of New York. In a simple yet effective series of illustrations, the piece compares different commutes (train, ferry, taxi, car) using data gathered on average wait times, rush hour traffic delays and travel speed. Both publisher and brand succeed in creating content that offers quick, tangible advice to their New York audiences.
“The Stay” – Hearst + The Ritz-Carlton
If you miss the sponsorship disclosure at the beginning of this video, you might mistake it for an art film. Beautifully shot and acted, this collaboration between Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel de la Paix in Geneva captures the sophistication and intrigue of staying at a luxury hotel. This is the perfect piece of content for Esquire’s refined audience, and the cleverest (and most romantic) way to advertise a hotel that we’ve ever seen.
“Booking It: A Guide to America’s Most Unique Accommodations” – Mic + Booking.com
A highly interactive piece of travel content, this partnership between Mic and Booking.com highlights some of the most unique accommodations in the United States. The goal of this piece is to drive U.S. readers seeking a travel destination to look within their own borders, and the clickable map is just the beginning. Each city listed comes complete with its own mini travel guide, positioning both Mic and Booking.com as the experts on hidden travel gems in America.
“The Rise and Reign of Robert the Bruce” – The Guardian + Netflix
You can always count on Netflix to craft branded content that’s as absorbing as its programs, and this partnership with The Guardian is no different. A comprehensive outline of Robert the Bruce’s rise to power, this piece combines the expert opinion of a Scottish historian with an interactive, textbook-style format to advertise the release of Netflix’s period epic, Outlaw King. The Guardian excels at smart content like this, as it serves their arts- and culture-savvy audience beautifully.
“Abilities Unlimited” – Variety + Easterseals
This collaboration between Variety and Easterseals acts as both a celebration of and resource guide for working with actors with disabilities. It offers tangible advice to casting directors, writers, studios and more, and provides illuminating research on just how underrepresented people with disabilities are in the entertainment industry. This hard-hitting and important piece of branded content is a natural fit for Variety and a great extension of Easterseals’ mission.
“In Fashion” – The Economist + The Woolmark Company
Millions of tonnes of clothing piles up in landfills every year. With that statistic in mind, this partnership aims to shed light on the amount of waste created by the fashion industry. Through this content, Woolmark promotes their brand as a sustainable material that’s often dismissed in favor of cheap, “fast fashion” alternatives, such as synthetic fibres, and The Economist benefits from publishing commentary on a socioeconomic issue that’s relevant to their readers.
“The Long Game” – The Players’ Tribune + John Hancock
This collaboration between John Hancock and The Players’ Tribune explores a life stage that most young, successful athletes avoid thinking about: retirement. From the perspective of a handful of different football stars, this piece emphasizes the importance of having a retirement plan, regardless of how far along in your career you may be. The Players’ Tribune’s specialty is personal content that allows readers to feel connected to their favorite athletes, and what better equalizer is there than knowing that even all-stars like Saquon Barkley and Dante Pettis are planning for their golden years?
“A Chosen Home for the Holidays” – Great Big Story + IKEA
This uplifting video by IKEA and Great Big Story delves into the importance of being able to celebrate the holidays with family — but emphasizes that that family doesn’t have to be the one you were born with. The story follows author and activist Nico Tortorella to the DC Center for the LGBT Community, where a safe and supportive space is provided for everyone to partake in Thanksgiving festivities. Great Big Story is renowned for its masterful videography, and it lends this expertise to IKEA to craft a piece of branded content that promotes a more inclusive way of looking at family.
“SkinActive Moisture Bomb Sheet Mask” – Multiple Publishers + Garnier
The best lifestyle content feels like it was written by a friend, and this collaboration between Garnier and multiple Canadian publishers achieves just that. These articles, which were placed on FASHION, Elle Canada, 29Secrets, Narcity and The Kit, speak to the reader in an energetic way that perfectly captures the act of putting on a sheet mask: fun, relaxing and above all, easy as pie. The Kit piece in particular excels at embodying the friendly yet direct tone needed for this type of content.
(Disclosure: this content was published through Pressboard’s platform)