STORYTELLING WITH ACGN BRAND COLLABORATIONS
ACGN (Anime, Comic, Games - and 'N' for short novels) is becoming more and more popular with mainstream culture - particularly GenZ. With more than 400 million “second-dimension” fans, ACGN has gone mainstream in China.
For brands, these ACGN fans hold strategic value - both current and future. While the vast majority of them are young, they are well educated, tech-savvy. They are spearheading a culture which is growing across all age groups. And as more audiences sidestep traditional TV show formats in favor of more immersive, creative Worlds, ACGN culture will proliferate.
Collaborations that simply slap images of ACGN characters on their products, are missing an opportunity to score a real win with fans. Brands looking to build winning collaborations with ACGN franchises need to immerse themselves into these richly creative Worlds, and tease out the details that add value for the fans of the story/franchise - creating insider appeal.
BRAND COLLABs ENHANCE CATEGORY LEADERSHIP
Skeptics of brand collaborations point to the notion that its about scoring quick wins and boosting sales.
In a world where audience attention is fragmented and ephemeral, tapping into areas where attention is deep and committed is critical in brand positioning. ACGN has incredible engagement power!
The example of Air Jordan (right), shows how strong brands can build depth in a category/culture. Nike (Jordan) holds strong ownership over basketball as a category. If you’re a GenZ in Asia, where is your love of basketball being indulged? On the court while playing with friends? Watching games on TV? Sometimes. But time spent watching and playing is limited. Anime shows like “Slam Dunk” is where the real attention is for a young basketball fan!
OPPO COOPERATES WITH ANIMATION IP TO BRING RECORD RESULTS
In July 2021, OPPO Reno6 Pro+ created a limited edition phone with anime series “Detective Conan.” The “Detective Conan” phone was sold together with a themed box. In each compartment of the elaborate box , there was a special, themed accessory. The 10,000 units of the limited edition were sold out within an hour on the day of the launch.
361° INTERPRETS ANIMATION IP IN A MORE INTERESTING WAY
Sneaker brand 361° created an interesting collaboration with old-school animation series, GUNDAM. The collaboration had a pair of themed sneakers, together with T-shirt and a set of additional GUNDAM branded accessories.
