• by Naomi , Chris Young , April 6, 2011

What do music videos and ad-funded original programming have in common? If the latest videos from two of the most popular artists in the world, Britney Spears and Dr. Dre, are any indication -- more than you think.

Dr. Dre's latest video, "I Need a Doctor," features a group of physicians trying to treat injuries sustained by the popular rapper during an over-the-top, Hollywood-style car crash. Shortly after the midway point of the video, the group is seen looking at medical information (and for a brief period of time, the HP logo) on an HP TouchPad tablet computer. The TouchPad is only seen for about 10 seconds, but that was enough time to generate buzz on tech and mobile blogs, namely CrunchGear. (Full disclosure: Digital Broadcasting Group produced the HP Live Beats concert series from last June.)

Britney Spears' latest video, "Hold It Against Me" integrates several brands throughout the course of the clip. At the beginning of the  video, Spears sprays herself with Radiance, the singer's latest perfume, then trolls around controversial dating website PlentyofFish.com on a Sony monitor (although to be fair, it should be noted that Britney is signed to Sony Music). According to celebrity gossip outlet TMZ, Spears earned $500,000 for integrating the brands into her video.  The tone of the coverage surrounding the video has been mixed at best, and many fans took to the comments section of the news sites to voice their displeasure with the way that Spears integrated the brands into the video.

So why was Britney lambasted in the media for the way brands were integrated into her video, while the good Doctor escaped relatively unscathed? The answer, in my view, is one that is simple, and one that rings true for any marketer looking to integrate brands into original content - the inclusion of a marketer's message or product was not more important than the content in Dre's video, while Spears' video bombards viewers with brands in a manner that the viewer may find offensive.

Just as a marketer should want to integrate their brand into content that falls in line with the overall mission and message of the company, marketers who place products in music videos should want to do the same. In his February 27 interview with Advertising Age's Andrew Hampp, Black-Eyed Peas frontman Will.I.Am, who has been seen in just as many advertisements as music videos these days, explained why the popular pop group is so attractive to marketers.

"To me it's about which bands participate in brands. Some brands go hand in hand with the "edge," but when it comes to broad, all sides of the spectrum that would be the Peas. We cover all frequencies. Our roles are there but it's not distorted. There's no distortion in our message; it's clear," he told Hampp.

Marketers who are intrigued by branded content can learn from Britney's mistakes and what Dr. Dre and in a broader sense, what the Black Eyed Peas do right. In order for branded content to truly be effective, a marketer's message must be integrated seamlessly and not overwhelm the content. The message must be clear, quick, memorable, and delivered by ambassadors that can be easily related to by all audiences.