The Top 10 Branded Content Partnerships of June

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Our 10 favourite pieces of custom content that brands and publishers partnered on in the month of June.

Check out the top 10 from May here.

The Hip-Hop History of Houston with Travis Scott – Billboard + 1800 Tequila

This is one of those pieces that truly has it all. Celebrity influencer? Check. Original video? Check. Interactive experience? Check. Add all of those elements together with compelling subject matter and you have this piece, celebrating Houston’s hip-hop culture through the lens of its most prominent rising star. This is authenticity done right. Bonus points to 1800 Tequila and Billboard for repurposing content they had already created together from a live event.

The Renewal Project – The Atlantic + Allstate

Allstate and The Atlantic have leaped well beyond the typical branded content campaign to launch a new website and newsroom tasked with covering the people and organizations “advancing social good and contributing to civic innovation in America.” The sheer size and ambition of this project are enough for it to be included on this month’s list. In addition to content created for the The Renewal Project by Atlantic Media Strategies, the company’s branded content team, this two-year editorial partnership also includes a series of local events around the country, an awards show and a sponsored editorial series on TheAtlantic.com.

Play This Game and Save a Bunch of Cats From Certain Smoky Doom – Gawker + Truth

Gawker teamed up with anti-smoking activists, Truth, to spread the message that cats are twice as likely to get cancer if their owner smokes. Playing off of the funny viral-style video that Truth created to communicate that sombre statistic, the Studio@Gawker team created a fun video game where the mission was to save our furry friends from a smoke filled “Catmageddon.” For more insight into Gawker’s branded content team, check out our interview with their Executive Director, Paul Sundue.

Escape Plan – Atlas Obscura + Zipcar

This content series excels because the branded integration works so perfectly with publisher Atlas Obscura’s editorial mission – to help readers discover curious places that are off the beaten path in their neighborhood and around the world. The 8 “Escape Plans” feature unique day trips you can take from four major American metropolises and showcase how a Zipcar makes each trip easily possible. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest.

Why The Queen’s Plate Horse Races Is The Most Fun Thing You’ll Do All Summer – Narcity + Woodbine Entertainment

In an effort to engage a new generation, Canada’s oldest and most renowned thoroughbred race created content with Toronto’s leading publications for millennials. After long icy winters, summer in Toronto is coveted like a precious limited resource, so it was important to highlight exactly what set The Queen’s Plate apart from the bombardment of other events in the city. The campaign also highlighted the race’s iconic fashion and this year’s new addition of live music through additional branded content on TorontoLife.com and music publication Exclaim.ca. The campaign was a huge hit, helping the event achieve the second highest attendance in its 157-year history! (The only time more people attended was when the Queen visited in 1973.)

(Full Disclosure: This campaign was created through the Pressboard Story Marketplace)

We Tried To Accomplish Our Summer Bucket Lists In 24 Hours – Buzzfeed + Nair

This is the new piece I’m going to send to the Buzzfeed haters who don’t believe that a publisher known for cat listicles can create respectable branded content (seriously – how do some of you still think that?). I sung praises for Buzzfeed’s Ad Team back in March for their collaboration with Aerie, and the content coming out of this partnership is of the same caliber. This piece is entertaining and yet, also really personal as the two authors take you on a bi-coastal journey. It connects with readers on a human level, which is more difficult than most branded content creators would like to admit.

The Success Project: What Drives A Man? – GQ + Cartier

I’ll admit that at first I may have only picked this piece because I’m a sucker for cinemagraphs, which GQ used perfectly here. After I finished staring at them for a bit too long I found the content itself was the perfect blend of inspiration and aspiration, which helped the direct calls-to-purchase seem appropriate. Can we go back to the cinemagraphs for a second and talk about how perfect that shot of NBA All-Star Chris Paul spinning a basketball is? And oh, look at that sweet Cartier watch he’s wearing! I’m betting the client was really excited about this one.

Pride & Joy – The Knot + The Hawaiian Islands

This is the second time in two months that wedding focused publisher The Knot has made this list so take note people – they’re crushing it. Coming off the heels of the US Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage, The Hawaiian Islands Tourism Authority and The Knot partnered on this content series in celebration of same-sex marriage and LGBT Pride Month. Pieces like “9 Wedding Planning Tips Every Same-Sex Couple Should Know” and “10 of Our Favorite Proposal Stories From Gay and Lesbian Couples” were a huge hit, helping to promote Hawaii as the perfect destination for a same-sex wedding and/or honeymoon.

Don’t flush these 11 bathroom etiquette tips down the toilet – Vancity Buzz + Metro Vancouver

This content series is nothing to poo-poo at! Metro Vancouver, the organization responsible for running the region’s water and sewer systems, teamed up with Vancity Buzz to raise awareness of a stinky issue.  Disposable wipes flushed down the toilet are clogging sewer lines and pumps, costing the region around $2 million per year. By keeping millennials and younger readers in mind, this campaign nailed it with just the right amount of humour, while sparking social conversation and sharing among readers.

(Full Disclosure: This campaign was created through the Pressboard Story Marketplace)

Gia Coppola’s New Film is Literally Mythic – Vanity Fair + Gucci

This interview with film director Gia Coppola, granddaughter of Hollywood legend Francis Ford Coppola, is really meta in that it’s branded content being used to promote the branded short film she created with Gucci. Both the interview and the film are captivating and come across as something that would normally be covered by Vanity Fair, without being sponsored. This piece shows, yet again how important choosing the right publishing partner is for creating great branded content.

Did we miss one of your favourite branded content campaigns of the month? Let us know in the comments!