To say native content has grown since last year would be an understatement. In 2014 Pressboard combed through 1,500 pieces of content for our “Best of” list, this year it was closer to 7,000. To give you an idea of how far the space has come, we had to buy VR headsets just to review a couple of the entries.
2015 was the year that native content moved from experimental to fundamental and nearly every major publisher and brand discovered the power of stories, instead of ads. Here are some of the best from the last 12 months:
NETFLIX isn’t just changing the TV landscape; it is changing the way that publishers build their native content programs too. First it was NYT and Orange is The New Black, then WIRED and TV Got Better and now for Narcos, it’s partnered with WSJ to create an incredibly immersive experience driven by one idea: telling the story of Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Cartel through a business and economics lens. The epic custom piece clocks in at nearly 4,000 words and is supported by interactive maps, custom videos and an Escobar quiz that has been played over 500k times. Consider it El Patron of native content.
Nokia may have sold off its phone business to Microsoft, but the company is still aiming to resolve some serious global issues. The year-long partnership with WIRED, titled #MakeTechHuman, explores topics such as Privacy, Artificial Intelligence, Connection and Equity. The piece de resistance is a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) featuring none other than Professor Stephen Hawking, currently the 2nd largest in Reddit history.
Guys go to Thrillist to find out what to eat, drink and buy. Leveraging this influence, Tabasco partnered to create the Boldest Grilling Guide—a digital recipe book for the man that loves to grill. The custom content hub comes complete with a side of, well, sides. Accompaniments curated from some of the country’s greatest restaurants and chefs and broken down into simple steps for the non-chef.
To support the release of MINI VR Films Backwater and Real Memories, “The New Magic” content hub explores the coming applications of Virtual Reality and what it means for the future of entertainment, education, health care and journalism. The 6-part series includes history lessons, interviews with VR pioneers and an exploration of the emotional and empathetic effects of being a part of the news, instead of simply watching it.
Combining custom video, quizzes and an addictive “Who Made the Mess, Dog or Kid?” click-and-reveal, this program embraces life’s messes through a combination of brand content and curated HuffPost editorial.
A relative newcomer to the US market, Indochino, a maker of custom suits and shirts, partnered with Gothamist to give local context to their affordable couture. Pairing local NYC haunts with the right suit for the venue and occasion gave readers a reason to diversify beyond their one-suit-for-weddings wardrobe.
More and more we live our lives online, and no one is more acutely aware of that than Mashable. That’s why Cathay Pacific and Mashable wondered what people would do with #OneDayOffline? A handful of people were flown in from around the world for a digital detox in Upstate New York where they ate, drank and picked apples that had nothing to do with Mac. The resulting stories and video content produced from the experience have been shared, liked or commented on over 4.5k times. Impressive digital engagement considering the article is highlighting the benefits of shutting off your digital life.
Last year Buzzfeed and Purina paired up for a runaway hit “Dear Kitten” which has racked up over 24M views to date. While this year’s focus moved to puppies, the combination of humour, cuteness and Buzzfeed’s influential social following created yet another viral video win. The Puppyhood video has already been viewed 8M times and is a powerful component in Purina’s growing emphasis on content.
How do you launch an entire museum in just a few months? What happens when you mix the smells of cheesy vomit and cinnamon? Eater and Infiniti partner to tell the story of the Museum of Food and Drink, and the creation of MOFAD Lab, the world’s first large-scale food museum. From how our taste sensation goes from bite to brain, to chef’s eating habanero peppers, the MOFAD digital hub is an engaging digital layer complimenting the physical museum experience.
Hearst leveraged all of its torque to bring “Built Ford Tough” to life. Over a nine-month period, a team of dedicated editors created more than 120 pieces of original content detailing the skills and gear every man should have. Under the name “The Code,” the editorial program ran across Car and Driver, Esquire, Popular Mechanics and Road & Track.
Branded content tends to be overwhelming positive in nature, with very few brands looking to associate themselves with controversial or negative topics. That can’t be said, however, for the Hulu and Gawker partnership promoting the original series Difficult People. The content program features stories such as “NYC’s Worst Places and the Jerks Who Live There” and an original video starring The Disgustings, dispensing unwanted relationship advice every happy couple needs.
This year long partnership pairs Revlon with one of Refinery29’s most popular content themes — astrology. The monthly series combines love horoscopes with makeup looks, gorgeous photography, and snackable video how-tos. The series fits in nicely with both Refinery29’s standard fare and Revlon’s Love is On strategy.
The Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe is a car focused on pure performance just as much as traditional Mercedes hallmarks, like luxury and safety. Through a special feature called “Performance Inc”, Forbes profiled various products, from drones to ski boots, all with performance at their heart. Mercedes brand content found within the feature showcased stories about the history of the GLE’S evolution and how their design decisions put performance first.
True Religion commissioned Complex to highlight their new creative director, NBA star Russell Westbrook, while also providing a custom content platform to activate promotion of their new line, launching at the NBA All Star game. The program leveraged the excitement and attention of the annual sporting event and produced some of Complex’s best performing sports content in Q1.
It wouldn’t be a “best of” list of the best without GE. Each year the brand pushes the content benchmark higher and 2015 was no exception. Their partnership with the New York Times uncovers how scientists at GE study butterfly wings to develop better sensors, take cues from whale fins for jet engines and how fish schools can help us build better wind farms. The piece moves well beyond words, images and sounds with the filming of a custom Virtual Reality video. This was TBrand’s 100th campaign and Sebastian Tomich, VP Advertising and Innovation at The New York Times, remarks that “nothing marks our journey more than producing a film with GE that’s on the cutting edge of video technology.”
Both the quantity and quality of native content in 2015 was exceptional. A big thanks goes out to all of the publishers and brands that submitted their campaigns and to Brandtale who makes researching great native campaigns super easy. Content Marketing is exploding, with PQ Media’s Global Content Marketing Forecast pegging the industry at $313 Billion in revenue for 2016. As more brands and publishers find new ways to create and distribute content, from long form to Virtual Reality, 2016 is shaping up to be a truly exciting year.
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A summarized version of this article appeared on AdAge
