Brand Positioning: MGM Studios
FIND COURAGE.
FIND GREATNESS.
Positioning MGM for today's era with a unique brand identity that honors its storied filmmaking legacy.
Film studios are all the same.
Gone are the days when movie viewers knew exactly what they were going to get from each studio. The entertainment industry is now looking to audiences to determine what their next project should be. Studios are seeking a sure thing, leaning into proven successes and therefore blending into the background of a homogenized market.
Movies transport viewers from practicality, expanding the realm of possibilities.
Chasing after the next blockbuster, however, has introduced predictability into an industry that once prided itself on the element of surprise. MGM has the opportunity to break out of this cycle by returning to its roots of storytelling with a unique point of view.
Strategy: Embody the Lionhearted
Revitalize MGM, infusing meaning and purpose by filling a white space with stories of ordinary people overcoming extraordinary challenges.
SETTING THE STANDARD
MGM Film Studios played a prominent role in establishing the modern day film industry. Alongside other longstanding studios, made glamour and extravagance the norm, ushering in The Golden Age of Hollywood. During this era, Hollywood operated under the studio system, requiring each major studio to develop their own unique style of storytelling.
The film industry has devolved into remakes of remakes of reboots.
The flops of 2023 during the summer—a season traditionally seen as a surefire period for blockbuster successes—exemplify the pervasive issue of studios aiming for “guaranteed ticket sales, only to face significant financial shortfalls.
Despite an ambitious three-part conclusion and a massive budget of nearly $350 million, "Fast X" barely made a profit, highlighting the risky nature of betting on blockbusters. Similarly, other anticipated releases like "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," "Mission: Impossible -- Dead Reckoning Part One," "The Flash," and "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" struggled to meet their break-even points, signaling a shift in audience interests and casting doubt on the future viability of big-budget franchises.
Today's most distinct and recognizable voices in cinema consistently draw audiences through their unique perspectives, often more so than the plots of individual films.
THE DIRECTOR’S CUT: STANDOUTS OF THE SILVER SCREEN
THE CURATOR:
Bringing elevated arthouse cinema to the average movie theater attendee
THE SPOTLIGHT:
Shining a light on and amplifying the voices of women storytellers
THE MIRROR:
Reflecting to audiences the often
overlooked everyday horrors of society
WHO WILL MGM BE
IN TODAY’S WORLD
OF CINEMA?
IDENTITY
CRISIS
Viewers watched Dorothy, Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion journey down the yellow brick road and left inspired to begin their own paths of self discovery.
Elle Woods, demonstrating that ambition doesn’t require sacrificing one’s identity, empowered a generation of women to pursue careers in law.
Ben-Hur is renowned as one of Hollywood’s greatest epic depictions, yet beyond the extravagance, the film shows the courage and bravery needed to simply forgive.
At its peak, MGM Film Studio was less concerned about filling theater seats and more focused on leaving audiences with a changed outlook on their own lives.
Reflecting on how MGM can show up amongst today’s feature film elites, the studio can embody The Lionhearted.
THE CURATOR:
Bringing elevated arthouse cinema to the average movie theater attendee
THE SPOTLIGHT:
Shining a light on and amplifying the voices of women storytellers
THE MIRROR:
Reflecting to audiences the often
overlooked everyday horrors of society
THE LIONHEARTED:
Portraying ordinarypeople facing extraordinary circumstances, inspiring courage in audiences
Script + Video Editing by Paris Cipollone
By embodying The Lionhearted, MGM has the opportunity to inspire audiences to be bold in their own lives. Bravery is not exclusive to superheroes and action stars, nor confined to the movies; we all have a shot at greatness every day by simply making the choice to be courageous.
What I actually did
Copywriting this webpage
Strategy + Insights
Competitive Analysis
Brand, Consumer +
Culture ResearchA lot of movie-watching
Collaborators
Paris Cipollone (CW)