The Rise Of Brand Biopics
For almost as long as film has been in existence, so too were the biographies of iconic figures. From Joan of Arc (1900) to Rocketman (2019), biographies and biopics of people have been a constant in filmmaking. However, in recent years, people are no longer the only source of inspiration for these biopics. Brands and businesses have now stepped into the spotlight for filmmakers. From Versace to Gucci, luxury brands and businesses are now seeing the potential promotional value of creating biopic films. So, here are a few examples, and how biopic films are changing the landscape of brand advertising.
The Social Network (2010)
One of the first brand biopics in the film world is The Social Network (2010). It’s about the early days of Facebook, and how its founder Mark Zuckerberg created the social media platform and its intricate algorithm. While it doesn’t seem like Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook were heavily involved in the making of the film, it had, nevertheless, increase public attention about the platform itself. After all, there was just under 3 billion monthly active users on Facebook in 2021 (Statista, 2022).
Now, while it can be difficult to attribute that increase to the film, it most certainly played a part in it. This is because film critics nowadays are reflecting on the way the film had portrayed the founding of the social media network, and how it is run today (VICE, 2020). There are lots of parallels to its storyline, to its current impact on society and its psychology. However, despite all of that, it’s still one of the biggest social media platforms in the modern age.
Yves Saint Laurent (2014)
Just like The Social Network, Yves Saint Laurent (2014) follows the origins of the fashion house, and how the price of fame, fortune, and success may not be easy to handle. Of course, while the film exudes luxury, elegance, and French romanticism, many critics have classed this film as superficial, not least because the film was heavily influenced by the brand itself. In fact, Saint Laurent’s lover, Pierre Bergé even lent out 77 pieces in the fashion house’s archives to the film’s director (ContactMusic, 2014).
Although its reception is mixed, it is still a promotion of-sorts, for the fashion brand. Its retelling of its origins is artfully done, with many French aesthetics that define its luxury fashion houses. And it is this that influences its viewers. With the exposure of its early styles, many in the luxury fashion world will want to recreate the looks that the man himself had created. Think about recent winter fashion collections, with women in pantsuits and oversized blazers. Wearing a boyfriend shirt was a bold fashion statement by Yves Saint Laurent, back in the 1960s and 1970s.
House Of Gucci (2021)
One of the most globally known films, House Of Gucci (2021) is a dramatized version of the story behind the fall of the Gucci family. From Italian fashion to crime and murder, the film has it all. It follows the lead-up to the murder of Maurizio Gucci and his wife’s involvement in everything, from the forgery of Rodolfo’s signature to fraud against Paolo. However, despite its grizzly depiction of the Gucci family, it has still garnered a lot of attention to the fashion house itself.
It is the fact that the film is focused on the family itself, the exposure of the clothes, jewellery, shoes, and handbags were what made the film more authentic. And as with Yves Saint Laurent, some of the fashion pieces in House Of Gucci were archive pieces that the costume designers were allowed to use (Metro, 2021). Of course, like the previous two films, House of Gucci had a mixed-bag reaction, with some film critics, and even the Gucci family, disputing its authenticity, while others praising it for its originality. Nevertheless, it is still a highly praised film by the public, and a great promotional piece for the fashion brand itself.
Why Brand Biopics?
While they’ve been nothing new, biopics, biographies and true stories have captured our imagination. They not only tell the story of those who came before, but re-energise their legendary works, their infamy and it re-humanises them. So often, when we think about the past, those who lived it are from different eras (literally), and we idolise them, because of the work they’ve accomplished, or demonise them because of the crimes they’ve committed. By creating biopics and films based on true stories, filmmakers can make these icons seem more realistic, and their ideals more achievable, for the modern-day viewer.
Essentially, by making a biopic or biography, the audience will get both the spectacle of the story and the realism they can relate with. So, the sayings “anyone can be great” or “anyone could be a serial killer” becomes even more tangible, and audiences are left with that sense of motivation or fear that comes with the story. For example, if someone, who aspires to be as great as a member of the Gucci family, they will think twice before being too ambitious like Patrizia Reggiani, after watching House Of Gucci. In contrast, audiences may be inspired or motivated to start their own fashion line, after watching Yves Saint Laurent.
Regardless of what biopic and viewer watches, they are meant to inspire, and that’s exactly what these biopics do. It is not only a look into the private lives of those who built these brands up, but also the leverage audiences need to connect more deeply with the brands they love. So, someone who always buys from Gucci, will feel much more inspired to wear their clothes, because of how they look on the big screen. Someone who uses Facebook will be inspired to join the company or use it as their main platform for social networking. No matter what the end result a biopic or biographical film is a window to the past. Even biopics about individual people and even music stars are a constant and timeless piece of filmmaking that will last the decades, because they help audiences connect with their idols.
