👜 🎬 From Logos to Storylines
The New Era of Brand Storytelling at the Cannes Film Festival 2025
Couldn't go to Cannes? I’m bringing Cannes to you. This week on Streaming Made Easy, we're taking the pulse of the biggest film festival in the world: the Cannes Film Festival.
How? I've worked on two pieces for you:
→ An article on the evolving relationship between streamers & theatrical, including the latest discussions around the French media chronology (Streaming Made Easy Premium members only).
→ An interview with an industry friend, Stéphanie Bro, Founder of the marketing agency L'AGENCE INÉDITE.
Stéphanie reports back from the festival on the overall industry sentiment, a new kind of brand content, her experience as a marketer of shows like Breaking Bad and Spiral and much more.
Stephanie, we've known each other for quite a while, working together notably on series like Breaking Bad and Justified when you were at Sony Pictures and I was at OCS (Orange’s Pay TV network). For my readers, can you introduce yourself and give us a more detailed overview of your company, L'Agence Inédite?
I founded L'Agence Inédite in September 2022, building on over 20 years of experience at Studio Canal and Sony Pictures Television. My background involves managing international marketing & communication campaigns for films and series, working on both new releases and catalog re-releases. L'Agence Inédite is structured to independently support the entire ecosystem (producers, broadcasters, platforms) from project development and production phases right through to their movies or series’ launches. My mission is to craft effective and tailored marketing and communication strategies at every step of the creation process.
Could you elaborate on some of the standout projects you’ve worked?
Over the years, I've been fortunate to work on significant film launches with renowned filmmakers such as Jean-Jacques Annaud, Cédric Klapish or David Lynch. On the TV side, I’ve been involved with high-profile series including Breaking Bad, Baron Noir, or Engrenages (aka Spiral). More recently, through my agency, I've supported international launches for series such as Wolf, A Prophet the series, Samber and Rematch. These series illustrate the agency’s approach: targeted, culturally relevant, and innovative.
You've just returned from Cannes. How would you describe the overall atmosphere and key themes discussed this year?
Returning to Cannes this year reminded me vividly of the festival’s heyday in the early 2000s, a real sense of renewed enthusiasm and optimism. There’s no doubt that the film market has evolved. Financing projects now requires more strategic partnerships due to greater budgetary demands and reduced financial risk-taking from traditional distributors. Yet, despite these challenges, the atmosphere remains positive, especially around innovative forms of content like branded content, which are clearly gaining traction.
By branded content in the Movie business, you mean product placement?
Actually, brands such as Yves Saint Laurent are increasingly moving beyond traditional product placement, actively engaging in film production and narrative development. For instance, last year the film “Emilia Perez” was notably co-produced by Saint Laurent Productions, highlighting the brand’s ambition to integrate deeply within the storytelling process. During this year's Festival, we saw two prominent announcements: Peugeot unveiled plans to significantly expand their partnership strategies, involving everything from strategic product placements and digital content creation to exclusive event experiences. Meanwhile, Lacoste announced their co-production of Cédric Jiménez’s highly anticipated film “Chien 51” featuring actors Adèle Exarchopoulos and Gilles Lellouche. Lacoste’s involvement goes beyond traditional branding. They have created a limited-edition, film-inspired clothing line, illustrating their deep narrative engagement. Such initiatives allow brands to forge emotional connections with audiences, establishing stronger and more authentic brand resonance through storytelling.
Streamers and Cannes have had a complicated relationship. What's your take on their current role within the festival?
Streamers are undeniably part of the Cannes ecosystem now, evident through events like the Cannes Streamer Forum. They’re actively engaged in dialogue on critical industry issues such as release windows and investment strategies. While traditionally seen as a disruptor, today’s streamers contribute constructively to industry discussions, promoting a more collaborative environment with cinema distributors and producers.
When marketing films, how do you differentiate your strategies between theatrical releases and streaming launches?
The key difference lies in audience engagement and consumption behavior. Theatrical marketing campaigns are proactive, aiming to draw audiences out of their homes and create a sense of event around a film’s release. Conversely, streaming platforms require immediate and highly accessible engagement strategies, with marketing efforts designed to capture viewers’ attention instantly in a crowded digital space. However, these distinct approaches are increasingly converging, as streaming launches now often receive promotional campaigns on par with traditional theatrical releases, blurring previous distinctions.
Considering the sheer volume of content available today, how challenging is it to sustain impactful marketing campaigns?
Extremely challenging. With audiences overwhelmed by choice, achieving immediate differentiation and clear positioning is critical. Successful marketing must therefore focus heavily on the launch phase, leveraging strong brand partnerships, precise audience targeting, and strategic timing. Occasional events such as awards or timely societal discussions can provide opportunities to re-engage audiences post-launch, but effective marketing fundamentally relies on smart and targeted strategies from the very beginning.
Can you highlight a recent project or campaign you particularly admired or wished you’d been part of?
There are two projects that deeply resonated with me recently. First, the British series “Adolescence”, which sparked significant public discourse around sensitive societal issues, notably within the UK education system. Second, Netflix’s “Sex Education”, celebrated, at Series Mania last year, for its impactful collaboration with Family Planning, effectively initiating open dialogue around sexuality education among young viewers. Both examples underscore fiction’s capacity to facilitate important societal conversations.
Lastly, what continues to motivate and excite you in this ever-evolving media landscape?
Each new project is essentially a fresh human adventure. The thrill of collaborating closely with passionate creators and visionary partners to bring meaningful stories to global audiences is incredibly rewarding. Despite the market’s intense competition and rapidly changing viewer habits, it’s precisely this constant evolution, creativity, and collaboration that keeps the industry exciting and fulfilling for me.
Thanks Stéphanie. Looking forward to seeing what’s next for L'agence Inédite and hopefully working together again soon.
Get to know L’Agence Inédite 👉 https://www.agenceinedite.com
For this week’s deep dive 👇
Link
That’s it for today but before you go:
This week, I’m off to GEMA Europe in San Sebastián where I will moderate a conversation with stellar executives around how the role of YouTube in your marketing strategy. Spoiler alert: there’s no short cut possible but immense rewards with the right approach.
Enjoy your day and see you on Thursday for the Pod Thursdays edition of Streaming Made Easy!