LaVecina Films launches new branded content unit that will offer clients the web series format

Brands with a more human narrative and an authenticity that makes them believable is what the Colombian production company LaVecina Films brings tp the table with its new branded content unit. Guido Jacome, creative director of the company, says the idea is to offer fictional stories for brands using the web series format. “These are stories that connect brands with their customers and the general public through an emotional framework that reflects the company’s values and objectives. We want to see the brand at the core of every one of these narratives, identified with the enjoyment our stories provide, all sound ideas, entertaining and clearly communicated,” he said. This format was born of a creative and strategic alliance of Jacome, Diego Mejia and Daniel Vasquez, all well known in the industry after their some 25 years of experience. Jacome has written big hits for television and Latin American movies, such as Amo de Casa (Househusband) Un Sueño Llamado Salsa (A Dream Called Salsa), and Nadie Me Quita lo Bailao (No One Takes Away My Dancing), among others. Mejia, an audiovisual director, is one of the most experienced and most successful directors in national and international television. Seen among his productions are Operacion Pacifico, El General, Jose Jose, Pedro el Escamoso (Pedro the Scurfy) and more. Vasquez, a producer with more than 25 years experience, has worked on a wide range of projects, from commercials and institutional features to videoclips, documentaries and storylines. Some of the brands he has worked with include Nokia, Avon, Sap Miller, Familia, The Cali Nation, Movistar, Bayer, Sony Corporation, Proexport, Yupi, Social Foundation, ODL, Ebel, Colgate, Mobil Super and Bogota City Hall, among others.“We write and work along with the Publicis agency on creative development of the web series Vidas Posibles (Possible Lives) for Renault, which turned out to be a success not only on social networks but also because it won several advertising awards. The series was produced by Foxcolombia. We also took part in the production and direction of the ENDEMA (National School for Unlearning Machismo) web series for the office of the European Union (EU) in Colombia, a story created and developed by the Vega & Jaramillo agency. We also wrote, produced and directed the first season of the entertaining web series Cafe con Leche, which was tremendously well received on social networks,” Jacome related about some of their successes.After the pandemic began to wane, audiences modified the way they behaved as consumers and now demand more honesty of advertisers. “The new trend is above all toward stories that captivate and excite viewers. Throughout the different types of narratives we involve the brand in the stories, whether as an important dramatic element for developing the plot – for example, when the characters ARE the brand that speaks through them – or when we tell an amusing story around product placement. Different paths, formats and categories are involved, but what’s important is connecting with the public in such a way that they remember the story, and after that they remember the brand. The key to all this is good storytelling,” Jacome said.Within the web series format, the brand stands out in the story as a character. “What we’re looking for with our stories is to give clients the chance for their brands to act out a narrative that is more human, more normal, more emotional, more fun, and that is not just out to sell products. More than that, they seem to wish to inspire and captivate their target groups, all through some delightful entertainment. If you move people deeply with a story, if you inspire them, if you motivate them, if you seduce them with a work of fiction with the brand as the core of the narrative, then they’ll buy your product. In the end, the brand IS the story, and as such it strengthens the ties between client and consumer by creating a sense of their belonging together.”In positioning brands, the key is to offer the target audience very direct short stories that offer empathy and entertainment. “Every brand, however small it might be, must become a digital platform for stories in different categories and formats,” Jacome concluded. “The narrative should leave offices behind to roam the streets and meet with members of the public that you hopefully have hooked with interesting, attractive stories, and who will consequently follow you anywhere and everywhere. The most influential brands are not the ones that push products, but are rather those that want to change things and make the world a better place. That is one of our principal premises.”