Branded Entertainment is nothing new in the tech space, going back as far as the ‘50s (General Electric Theater). Over time, the mediums have changed but the parameters of branded content remains: introduce brands to wider culture, and give audiences a means of connecting with brands in a way that adds value beyond product benefits. As new platforms come into play, e.g. social platforms like Vine, we’ve seen more brands experiment in these spaces with content encouraging audiences to seek the brand out, vs. force the brand to come to them.

When most branded entertainment was on TV and radio, it faced the same restrictions as other programming. As content has moved onto social platforms, there is a greater sense of creative freedom as advertisers rely on self-policing, to make sure they don’t alienate core audiences.

As our campaign ran mostly in western countries and in social channels, we did not face any real restrictions. Our challenge came in picking globally resonant talent and in telling a story that connected with audiences worldwide. For these reasons, focusing on music and Meghan Trainor, with her well-received message of female positivity worked especially well for us.

We reached young millennials not through bought impressions, but through borrowed interest in Meghan Trainor and our social creators, who had a combined audience of millions. From there, the pressure was on to deliver.

The music video lived in a YouTube playlist which encouraged engagement with additional branded content. To drive traffic, our creators documented making the video and shared it with followers, linking back to the playlist.

After the video’s release, we turned Meghan’s first US tour into an owned channel, with sponsored on-site activations and webisodes featuring our creators meeting Meghan for an exclusive look at her show.

The results went well beyond any expected views and shares:

• Social creators made 240 unique posts, with 25 million engagements before the video even launched

• Within 48 hours, “Lips Are Movin’” gained 2 million organic views, and surpassed 150 million views within 3 months

• Video became a top 10 download on iTunes

• 300% growth in millennial visits to HP’s YT channel

• HP’s Instagram and Vine followers grew 30%

• 36% growth in millennial brand consideration year over year, beating Apple for the entire holiday season

• x360 sales surpassed 100% forecasts