A useful but clunky way to define planning is "interestingness management". Interest and time are related in many ways, some fairly linear (boredom) and others less so (nostalgia). Keeping a brand interesting means steering its storyline through time. And sometimes an interesting, emotionally satisfying plot twist requires a change in character. The trick is to make changes that enrich the brand, that are developmental rather than just different.
By going backwards to the beginning, Casino Royale brings the 007 brand forward in this way. The most interesting Bond film in maybe forever, it dispenses with the cloying, happy-go-lucky playboy of the past 30 years in favor of the "ironical, brutal and cold" character that Fleming originally conceived. But the real interest-generating aspect of the movie is not just the novelty of a new Bond, but the revelation of an earlier, unfamiliar Bond who makes emotionally satisfying sense of the flip, emotionally vacant character we've grown (over-) accustomed to.
After watching "Bond 21", I'm pretty sure that when Bond 22 comes out in two years, I'll pay the $32 for a ticket. I'll forgive it its predictable annoyances (egregious Sony product placement, the odd Bruckheimian fireball). I'll think about how it enriches or enfeebles the franchise and try to convince you that it's interesting in either case. All of which adds up to a fairly comprehensive description of the behavior a strong brand is supposed to generate.
Jeffre - I saw the movie last month. It was great and I agree whole heartidly. This trend of going back to the beginning has been going through Hollywood for a few years now. Batman: The Beginning is the other most recent example I can think of and it had the same effectiveness as Casino Royal. It looks like they are coming out with a movie called "Hannibal" to show how how that character developed.
You see this trend in branding/advertising too - get back to the roots and essence of the brand if its lost its way. Mr. Jobs has done this at appple since his return - innovative products that are beautifully designed and intuitive in use.
Posted by: Mike | January 13, 2007 at 11:23 AM
What would a brand "prequel" look like? Maybe a limited release of prototype products? Even if they're not functionally as good as the final release, some people would be interested just for what it tells you about the roots of the actual product.
Posted by: Jeffre Jackson | January 16, 2007 at 04:06 AM
Nice. Reminded me of something that Paul Budnitz, the founder of Kid Robot said at a conference recently. "Nostalgia is death." The point being that if all you do is redo the past as it was, you've actually avoided creative impulse. You're not being interesting, just...emotional? Anyway, the thing that's interesting about Casino Royale, et al, is the newness they bring to a known story, the reinterpretation. Bond goes from cocky jokester to dark monster.
By the by, Jeffrey, since your "interestingness" discussions, I've added a bookmark category to my web-browsing called "interesting." Sets the bar at quite a height. Thanks for that.
Posted by: josh | January 18, 2007 at 09:53 AM
"Interesting" is a surprisingly high standard, isn't it? I think about it so much because the outstanding quality of most commercial messaging is that it simply doesn't interest me. It isn't worth the time it would take to think about it.
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