The creator of that Jonas Moore thing has more to say about GNs that go direct to the sponsor. This story wouldn’t be so noteworthy if this kind of “advertorial” weren’t becoming more and more common.

To finance “The Many Worlds of Jonas Moore,” Webster decided to eschew the traditional routes of approaching advertisers through media agencies. He instead wrote directly to the CEOs of companies he thought would fit in with his film.

“They way I cut deal is by going straight to global brand directors, and I never cut a deal with a media agency. They don’t understand the digital space at all,” Webster said. “My sense of the online community is that there is a real sense of antagonism to the big people, the massive advertising agencies and media agencies that are just watching what’s happening online and copying it and taking it to their clients and branding it up and persuading them this is something they should be doing.”

Webster said he sent “hundreds and hundreds of letters” to brand executives about his project and eventually signed on Triumph Motorcycles as a sponsor. As part of the deal, Triumph is listed as the sponsor with placement of its logos. Salmon’s Jonas Moore character also rides a Triumph while wearing the company’s clothing.

“It’s not rocket science, if you’re doing something like Jonas Moore, which is a digital James Bond type of film, then the brands are very clear if they fit in with that. McDonalds isn’t going to fit in with it,” Webster said.

1 COMMENT

  1. Hi – Howard Webster – the creator of http://www.jonasmoore.com here. Thanks for the posts. I did want to say – that we don’t see working with brands as advertorial at all. It is simply a cool way of financing great stories that otherwise would’t exist if they had to go through the standard financing rounds at publishers and private investors. Anyone who loves graphic novels will know what a nightmare it is to get a publisher. This way – brands can help you realise your dream – and you get to choose the brands you feel represent your work creatively. Advertorial sounds as though the relationship is somehow a bit cheesy – like a mag advertorial. Having Colin Salmon zoom around on a Triumph Tiger actually made the virals cooler. Keep up the good work – and keep the debate going.

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