February 6, 2023 | Gabe Roy

The emphasis on video storytelling has been on the rise in recent years. Consumers are craving more meaningful and emotional connections with the brands they support. The branded documentary format can provide marketers with an opportunity to tap into this human desire and to create compelling and engaging content that has the power to educate, inform, and inspire their target audience.

What is a branded documentary?

A branded documentary is a type of video content that marketers use to tell stories that share their brand’s mission and values. The goal of this style of content is to delight the audience - being subtle and tasteful with any brand exposure.

By sharing stories that align with the overarching ethos of a particular brand, marketers can work to establish a deeper level of trust and credibility with their audience.

Getting rid of the sales scripts and minimizing your overall brand representation in the video might seem like a bizarre way to market a brand. But, doing this is what lets the story bubble to the forefront, making room for the viewer to create an emotional connection with the story - and ultimately, your brand.

Think of the concept similarly to product placement in films and music videos. The brand that makes an appearance isn’t the focus of the story but works more on the viewer’s subconscious. Similarly, branded documentaries aren’t always focused on the brand necessarily, rather they might be engaging documentaries ‘sponsored by’ or ‘presented by’ the brand.

Investing in this type of content isn’t for the impatient. This is a long-game investment that helps shape the overall understanding of your brand. However, high-quality content like this is what pays off in spades in the future - laying the groundwork for long-term brand loyalty.

Here are nine examples of successfully-executed branded documentaries by well-known brands:

1. Spotify: “A Day in Ghana with Kendrick Lamar”

"A Day in Ghana with Kendrick Lamar" is a four-minute mini-documentary released by Spotify on June 17, 2022, which coincided with Kendrick Lamar's 35th birthday and the release of his latest studio album “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers”. The documentary showcases the rapper experiencing the street lifestyle in Accra, Ghana for the first time. He spends the day with the local youth, where we get to see him playing soccer, taking photos, and visiting Freedom Skate Park, Ghana's first fully functional skate park, which was funded by the late fashion icon Virgil Abloh.

This short film is a prime example of how to produce a branded documentary effectively. In just a few short minutes, it offers a unique and engaging perspective on the artist who often eludes media attention. The raw, truth-seeking style of the production aligns with Kendrick’s own music style. There is no mention of the album until nearly two minutes into the video - there’s no need. Seeing Kendrick be present and embrace this new experience is engaging enough for the viewer to stick around. Finding out that a new album is around the corner and available on Spotify is just the icing on the cake.

• Brand: Spotify

• Length: 4 Minutes

2. Black Crow Skis: “Fortress: The Ghost Ski Resorts”

Black Crow Skis, a ski supply company produced a short documentary series called “The Ghost Ski Resorts.” This beautifully shot film series tells the unique backstories of abandoned ski resorts across North America. Two skiers hit the slopes and explore the ominous structures that remain in these once-popular destinations. This particular episode brings the viewer to Fortress Mountain in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains.

In recent years, the desolate resort has become a popular film location for big Hollywood movies due to its uniquely dismal aesthetic - being featured in movies such as Inception, Brokeback Mountain, and The Revenant. The resort was abandoned in 2004, leaving behind relics of a bygone era - rusted chairlifts, damaged windows, and empty ski runs.

This is a truly unique example of a branded documentary that does it right. From the cinematography to the storytelling, you’re engaged from start to finish. For a ski supply company, these unique stories align well with its brand identity.

• Brand: Black Crow Skis

• Length: 10 Minutes

3. MailChimp: “Hamburger Eyes”

In 2019, the well-known email marketing company, MailChimp produced a series of short documentary films under the title “MailChimp Presents.” These short branded documentaries highlighted inspiring stories of unique artists and creative communities who influenced change within their industry.

In this particular episode, the film explores the history of Hamburger Eyes - a locally-famous photography-focused zine based in the Bay area of California. What started as a one-man project, became an outlet for a community of talented artists dedicated to capturing iconic moments of everyday life.

While there is no mention of the MailChimp brand itself in the film, we can identify why this story makes sense for them to tell. MailChimp is a pioneer in email marketing. By sharing stories of other pioneers in their respective fields, the viewer will subconsciously bridge parallels between the MailChimp brand and the theme of being a self-starting pioneer.

• Brand: MailChimp

• Length: 30 Minutes

4. Porsche: “Aurora Borealis”

Porsche took a route that’s become a growing trend over the past few years. As opposed to hiring a production crew to film a documentary the traditional way, they opted to hand over the creative reigns to a well-known content creator with the goal of making “user-generated content.” By doing this, they attach their brand to this influencer and offer to share their platform and audience for the creator to tell their story in a mutually-beneficial arrangement.

This production style gives the storyteller more creative freedom to be authentic and tell the story how they see fit. Porsche would have researched filmmakers who they believe would align with their brand, and likely have been less involved in the actual creative process. In this particular film, the influential content creator is Marcus Valeur - a photographer who had the dream to capture the Northern Lights on camera for most of his life. In this Porsche-sponsored short documentary, we follow his journey to Norway to realize this dream.

• Brand: Porsche

• Length: 30 Minutes

5. Sonos x Abbey Road Studios: “ReScored”

Wireless speaker and home sound giant, Sonos teamed up with the infamous Abbey Road Studios in London to create ReScored - a short film contest in which the winning film is rescored by Oscar-winning composer Steven Price. This two-minute-long branded documentary illustrates how filmmakers can elevate their projects by having access to the best of the best; The best-in-class audio system, recording studio, and composer.

This bite-sized film was presented engagingly while simultaneously being a more obvious example of branded storytelling. The creators don’t try to hide the fact that both Sonos and Abbey Road Studios are the presenting brands behind this competition and film. However, this doesn’t detract from the overall viewing experience. The story itself is compelling, the visuals and characters are grabbing, and - of course - it’s all brought to life with a beautifully composed soundtrack.

• Brand: Sonos x Abbey Road Studios

• Length: 2 Minutes

6. Toyota: “See Like Menna”

This 45-second-long documentary-style commercial from Toyota has absolutely nothing to do with cars. As a corporate sponsor for the Paralympics, the car manufacturer identified a unique story they believed viewers would find inspirational. The ad entitled “See Like Menna” depicts life from the perspective of competitive skier, Menna Fitzpatrick, as she makes her way down the side of a mountain with her very limited eye-sight.

Ending the video with the slogan “Start your impossible”, we are left with the uplifting message that anything is possible. While being a sponsor of the Paralympics is likely part of Toyota’s corporate social responsibility initiative, this ad simultaneously does a good job of giving us the sense that the Toyota brand also operates under the notion that anything is possible.

• Brand: Toyota

• Length: 45 Seconds

7. Google: “Google Career Certificates: Karrim”

This is a classic example of a well-structured user success story.

In this three-minute short documentary, Google tells the relatable story of a young man named Karrim, and the struggles he faces while trying to enter the workforce. As the son of Ethiopian immigrants, his parents always told him that they wanted him to succeed and have a better life than they had. They adamantly encouraged him to pursue formal education. After graduating from college in 2020, Karrim was determined to find a job, but - compounded by the coronavirus pandemic - he found that opportunities were few and far between.

After submitting over a hundred applications, with months of no response, Karrim eventually stumbled across the Google Data Analytics Certificate. This Google-presented training program promised to give graduates valuable skills in coding, data analytics, and data mapping. Karrim excelled in the program and was able to find a rewarding career opportunity within a month of graduation from the program.

This short film is a great example of an ideal customer journey. We identify and relate with Karrim’s problem, and see how Google’s Certificate program was the right-fitting solution.

• Brand: Google

• Length: 3 Minutes

8. Calvin Klein: “Destiny”

This 60-second mini-documentary was part of Calvin Klein’s (CK) 2020 brand campaign called “One Future.” The goal of the campaign was to align the CK brand with inspirational and powerful youth voices across America. In the campaign, eleven young people were filmed in their daily lives - captured across the country against the backdrop of their hometowns. This series gives these individuals the opportunity to speak to their unique experiences, viewpoints, and hopes for life. They are the voices of a generation that shares a common future.

What this series does well for a fashion company is create a connection that Calvin Klein cares about what the youth think. They’re a brand that represents possibility, is forward-thinking, and never wants to lose touch with ideas young Americans care about.

• Brand: Calvin Klein

• Length: 1 Minute

9. Zest Media Productions: “Subject of Art”

At the risk of coming off a bit cheeky, we had to take advantage of this opportunity to show off a bit of our own work, right?

At Zest Media Productions we love finding the fine balance between visual artistry and effective storytelling that it takes to produce a compelling branded documentary. This particular bite-sized film features Vancouver choreographer, Joe Tuliao in episode one of our original series: “Subject of Art”.

The “Subject of Art” mini-documentary series is an ongoing original series that highlights artists across British Columbia. The project aims to explore the motivations behind the work of these inspiring creators and enhance the overall art community in the region. How does this project align with our brand? Well, we love art. Our line of work allows us to be creative on a daily basis and tell stories that can inspire change - which itself is an art form.

• Brand: Zest Media Productions

• Length: 1 Minute

Curious if branded documentary content might be right for your business?

We’re experts in the video marketing and production field in Vancouver, BC. Every day, we help brands establish and build connections with growing audiences online using the power of video storytelling. One way we love to do this is through branded documentary content! Want to learn more about this awesome video style?

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