And, yes, that Folgers ad returns to usefulness as a precedent, doesn't it? Interesting. I don't know that this ever got written up. It was kind of like showing the soap operaa inside the ad. What it did for consumers, whether they would participate in the construction of narrative(s), these are interesting ethnographic questions! Thanks, Grant

1. The BMW films project has extended into a BMW comics series, also called The Hire. As with the films, it involves top name tallents who push the character and his story in different directions. To what degree is it important that the Driver be emptied of extensive characterization and be adaptable to so many different narrative contexts? This seems like the opposite of your Mr. Clean example where you overspecified his past until he fit logically within a single genre.

2. The old Folger Coffee serialized commercials, which featured Anthony Head, who went on to play Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Here we had a story which unfolded across a number of commercial installments — following a fairly simple genre — the romantic comedy. Could you imagine extending that outward into some kind of epistelary fiction? a series of love letters between the two in print or on the web, which come complete with coffee stains? Perhaps even some kind of game where the goal is help true love win out and good coffee taste find an appreciating consumer.

in general i also have the feeling that brands that are driven by a product (bmw, porsche, apple, boogaboo…) – or even more: all brands that are driven by *experiencing them* (to experience the buying qualities of a discounter for example, because this discounter manages to surprise you with damn useful products for a super reasonable price again and again..) kind of work in the narrative transmedia way.

bmw though is a super interesting example, because the brand got a massive spin in the last couple of years by giving people the responsibility and in a good extend the freedom to create the brand.

think of bmw architecture. all around the world they have extremely well known – and mostly extremely eccentric – architects building their factories and showrooms. (ok – prada does that too)

or for example think of there art installations and art events that accompany the big car fairs.

or think of the bmw art car – an already quite traditional concept of having an artist coloring a one-of piece.

and so on and so on and so on…

and – of course – think of bmw design. controversial, provocative, unique and – yes – daring.

bmw may not build the most beautiful cars – but they build the most daring ones. – because they let their people do the work. – according to the head of bmw design their goal is to create vintage cars.

and at this point bmw's old corporate philosophy of giving good people responsibility and the freedom to create pays off quite well – id say.

the result is: you look at a brand that supports the arts, has great architects building for them and product designers who do not listen too much to market research. the result: you see a company that is daring. one of these true old time companies with guts, a smile and a focus. (not only investment portfolios.) and that then is a wonderful transmedia sensation. created together with common focus and individual freedom.

sounds a little bit like a vision for a better world.
sounds like this is exactly what the markets want today.