Branded Film Marketing: Why Innocean Is Making Movies

Branded film marketing turns a brand message into an experience people choose to pay for. Night Fishing, a roughly 13-minute film that Korean agency Innocean made with Hyundai Motor, sold tickets for 1,000 won, drew about 46,000 paying viewers and won the Entertainment Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2025. Innocean is now building a dedicated branded film business on the back of that result (Mobiinside, October 26, 2026).

How did Night Fishing become a film rather than an ad?

Released in 2024, Night Fishing stars actor Son Suk-ku and was directed by Moon Byung-gon. It was shot with seven cameras specially mounted on an Ioniq 5 to recreate the car's own camera view. Rather than putting the car up front, the film built the vehicle's technology into the story and the way it was shot. The film earned its audience on its own quality, without leading with a logo.

Item	Detail
Running time	About 13 minutes
Ticket price	1,000 won
Paying viewers	About 46,000
Award	Cannes Lions 2025 Entertainment Grand Prix

Why is Innocean launching a film business?

Innocean has launched Cinema by Brand, a branded film label, with Hanwha as its first partner. The project, a film about space-based solar power involving three directors, is scheduled for release in 2027. With ad inventory saturated and skipping now the default, the bet is that brands can earn attention in a format people actively choose to spend time and money on.

The column's author compares branded films to pop-up stores: a short, place-bound experience that goes deep and then spreads through social media and press coverage.

Takeaways for marketers

Branded films are attractive but risky. These are the questions BestPartner works through with clients before recommending one:

1. Can the product play a real role in the story? As with the Ioniq 5 camera view in Night Fishing, removing it should break the film.
2. How much creative control will the director keep? Every extra brand approval weakens the film.
3. What counts as success? Agree on buzz volume, earned media and branded search lift alongside ticket sales.
4. What happens after the theatrical run? Plan distribution on streaming, YouTube and events so reach justifies the investment.
5. Is there budget for a slow payoff? Films take longer than campaigns to produce and to pay back.

Other examples of content that earned its own audience include Banana Republic's TikTok series The Agency and Roblox Movie Marketing: Warner Bros. Uses 3 Games.

Source: Mobiinside