Reebok Enters Showbiz with Branded Entertainment

As the lines continue to blur between marketing, media, retail and entertainment, Reebok is having a go at show business with a series of short films to debut on IFC. The films, which are being held to the same exacting standards to which IFC holds all its programming, feature Reebok-sponsored athletes like Alan Iverson and Thierry Henry being interviewed by other celebrities, mostly musicians and actors like Nelly and Paz Vega. Moreover, the celebrities doing the interviewing are also involved behind the camera, acting as the films’ directors.

This foray into branded entertainment is Reebok’s attempt to leverage its stable of star athletes to provide consumers (viewers) with a meaningful media experience - and, of course, bolster their brand in the process. The NY Times quotes Todd Krinsky, vice president for sports and entertainment marketing at Reebok:

The preference is increasingly for “original content that entertains the consumer,” Mr. Krinsky added, “and is also a vehicle to communicate our brand values.”

But shouldn’t that be what marketers have been giving us all along? Better late than never.

The New York Times: Celebrities Chat with Athletes, in Reebok Gear