As the streaming market becomes more and more crowded, streamers are going to need to make a name for themselves that stands out from that crowd. Today, it seems, Amazon Prime wishes to do that by cornering the market on the shows fantasy and sci-fi fans want to watch. We asked entertainment lawyer Brandon Blake to chat with us about this new development.
Wheel of Time and Beyond
Currently, Amazon Prime Video has Wheel of Time running in one of their premier slots on the platform after its Fall launch. We also have Lord of the Rings coming as a 2022 release. We also see their new tagline ‘See where it takes you,’ used fairly heavily throughout their latest promotional material. Little wonder- it’s the first time in their 14 years of existence they’ve ever used a brand tagline in their advertising efforts at all. But now, it seems, they intend to marry the two and specifically aim their advertising spots at fantasy and sci-fi fans. Is this the new demographic they want to lure to their streaming service?
The new ‘genre spot’ has been running for a few days now, and it’s very clear they want to emphasize that the two genres will be a key area of their original programming focus. This new advertising spot will continue to run through the end of 2022. Alongside the fantasy and sci-fi element, they’re also pulling in viewers for action, comedy, and fashion genres.
Nor are they merely focusing on streaming. They’re also trying to tie their video services to Amazon’s music and books in a more holistic campaign. It’s a new approach for the tech giant, but possibly solid. Wheel of Time’s launch drove the books the series is based on back to a number 1 spot on Amazon’s bestseller list. Admittedly, the series is a long-established and popular fantasy offering, much beloved by fans, so we doubt all future attempts will score quite such a dramatic revival. But it seems Amazon is not shy to push soundtracks, books, and other merch at eager viewers who want more than the series provides.
A ‘Very Different’ Experience
Why the new approach? According to Ukonwa Ojo, their chief global marketing exec, they’ve realized that their streaming experience is different from other streamers. They wish to create a ‘seamless’ experience that brings in more than just streaming video, but ties into their overall vast retail infrastructure.
It’s not the first streamer we’ve seen to look for ways to make sure their IPs don’t end with the credits. It seems the new trend will be to find ways to take it away from the cycle of sequels, prequels and spinoffs into a more holistic experience, probably all for the better, too. Netflix, of course, recently launched a tie-in with Spotify to do something similar- offer soundtracks, interviews, and podcasts about their streamed video.
Ojo is a relatively new Amazon appointment, and one of their first with a pure entertainment background. They’re also keen to push Prime Video as its own entity, and less of an afterthought in the global giant’s empire. Is it unusual to do so through genres once held as ‘niche’ among video? Probably not. It’s a different landscape out there from 20 or 40 years ago, and fantasy and sci-fi fans have a reputation for being doggedly loyal to ‘their’ fictional universes. Could a streamer successfully leverage that to build loyalty for their brand too? It will be interesting to see how the campaign pans out for Amazon. As always, Blake & Wang P.A will be watching.