It makes sense when you think about it.
Ralph Lauren can remake the Great Gatsby with all its 1920’s American Royalty luxury. Juicy Couture could put out a 16th century raunchy French comedy full of dark humor and cotton candy wigs. Levis could remake Rebel without a Cause, or reinvent a great American tradition in need of an update: The Western. DKNY can tell a futuristic city sleek story of action, ambition and betrayal. Alexander McQueen could make a series of shorts: Grimms Fairy Tales, for adults.
With Product placement becoming more of the norm, it seems like only the big studios and the fashion & luxury brands will be able to rescue my favorite genre before it becomes to expensive to produce: The period piece; The historical fantasy; Those films that take you to a time and place before products.
I could go on and on, about the different designer luxury brands that could tell fabulous stories, it’s an expensive endeavor, and few will take the risk even though the rewards might very well skyrocket their brands. For those who are interested, I humbly offer to pour out the overflowing creative juices in my head for stories that match your brand and your trend.
Its also a wonderful opportunity for big retailers who want to really differentiate themselves and own an emotional space close to their consumers. Macy’s could take its magic a few steps further by joining forces with Miramax and Diet Coke to own the Romantic Comedy; they could even produce a series of romantic comedies. With the right kind of production contract you’d have material for every media outlet you could think of.
Walmart could own the straight out Comedy a la Will Ferrell or Eddie Murphy. I’m not sure if Home Depot did anything with Home improvement, but that one would seem like a no-brainer.
There’s a catch though; you still have to make a good movie, which is enough of a challenge sans brands. You must work with the right team. The writing has to be good, the acting impeccable. The directors & producers have to be free to make an amazing film – otherwise you’ll just be exposing your audiences to a long, boring, overpriced commercial that does more damage than good.
I can never get enough of the spreads I see in W, or those movies that do push the costume with a fashionable edge a la Vanity Fair, Plunkett & Macleane, Sweeny Todd, Memoirs of a Geisha and many many more…
In the mean time I’ll hope and pray that fashion will continue to revolutionize my movies.