There is a cool piece in the Economists’s new Game Theory blog (really cool blog, btw; definitely a must check out) today discussing the new film “Art of Flight.” The article points to the larger macro economic trend that these types of films have the potential to market a unique subset of brands to a hypertargeted audience. The author points out that extreme sports are the only type of sport where athletes’ reputations are based not only on the podium finishes they win, but even more so on the films they’re featured in, which is one of the things that makes snowboarding truly unique. As such, sponsors are jumping all over the opportunity to lend valuable marketing dollars to the filmmakers in efforts to connect with this hypertargeted audience who have money waiting to be spent.

Obviously, contextual advertising in films is part of any smart brand’s marketing strategy, but I’m wondering… does seeing a Red Bull logo portrayed in a snowboard film make you want to go out and immediately drink a Red Bull? I think I know the answer, but I’m curious to hear your thoughts.