Being a factual/lifestyle television producer it is imperative I connect with companies and consistently work to understand branded entertainment.
“Advertainment” is another great term for the concept.
What is it?
Watching television in the conventional manner is no longer popular; therefore advertisers are looking to integrate products into a TV series concept opposed to having commercial breaks. Example – the Coca Cola cups sitting in front of each American Idol judge.
Companies are also integrating their advertising into the format of numerous TV series. Recipes to Riches is a new competitive reality series where home cooks battle to have their recipes become a President’s Choice product.
Knowing this is the way of the future I am connecting with numerous companies both big and small. Speaking of size one company I am close with is Beanstalk Apparel and they make tall clothes for tall people. I had the honor of interviewing founder Lauren Bath. I’m planning on using her brand on my series The Proposal . Their fabulous T-shirts have great color for TV and clothing our cast is a way to ensure grooms-to–be are looking their best. This partnership not only rewards the cast’s participation it provides Beanstalk with exposure.
Developing relationships with new and established companies is imperative for all producers because these relationships lead to money for the TV series budget.
In the case with Beanstalk and The Proposal we do a straight trade, which ups production value, making sure the cast looks great. It also saves the series money on wardrobe costs.
In an example of bigger more established brands, the company’s advertising budget goes into the TV series budget. How big that portion is depends on many factors. My advice to producers everywhere is that nurturing your relationships with all companies ensures you always have the funds to create great TV!
The other reason I am thrilled to interview Lauren is that she is a female entrepreneur like many of us at MS. In The Biz. Here is her story.
What inspired Beanstalk?
Beanstalk was born from a collective frustration with the lack of clothing available for tall, young people. We wanted to create a solution and share that solution with other talls.
We often chatted about what we were looking for and couldn’t find, because it simply wasn’t available. The clothing that was available often just missed, whether in fit or style.
Why is it so hard for tall people to get a good fit in clothing?
A general assumption for Men’s wear seems to be that if you are tall you are big.
For Women, it seems to be that the larger the size, the wider the garment, without additional length.
These two trends fail to accommodate the tall and slim body type that is often proportionally close to an average size, but stretched.
Are your t-shirts wash and wear?
Yes, Beanstalk Shirts are dryer friendly.
The shirt you wear before wash, should comfortably fit you after a complete wash and light dry cycle.
Minimal shrinkage is expected.
As a tall person, the dryer is your enemy, and you are often overprotective of your clothing.
Do you think people are getting bigger and bigger as the generations go on?
People are certainly getting taller. As a species, we are not getting smaller.
What is next for Beanstalk?
We are working on our women’s line and are very excited to offer classic stylish garments for tall women. We are continuing to develop our Men’s line, and we hope to add some additional items to our store very shortly. We are also thrilled to be working with The Proposal TV series.
What do you want people to know about Beanstalk?
Beanstalk clothing is designed for tall people by tall people.
We have felt uncomfortable in our clothing and with our height at times and we want to remedy these feelings by embracing tallness and offering clothing that makes tall people feel and look great. People are getting taller all the time and we want to clothe them!
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My advice to all factual television producers – get to know as many companies as you can.
Remember – like relationships in life the partnerships will sometimes surprise you. I never thought a tall clothing company would be working with our marriage proposal show. I would love to hear about the brands you would love to work with and how you imagine including them in your TV series? Be creative and let me know!