As technology makes it easy to avoid advertising, a growing number of UK brands are looking to create entertainment rather than disruption to engage their customers.The most significant area for growth is digital media while broadcast remains highly regulated. Product placement on TV remains off limits for many brands and for those that can, screen time is limited by a requirement to only appear when editorially justified. This regulation combined with broadcasters’ protracted processes for commissioning programmes results in very few advertiser funded TV shows being made.

Instead, brands are creating content and experiences to engage their audiences on other screens, and distributing content via largely unrestricted digital channels that are under their control.

However, the UK audience is a discerning one so although a growing number of brands are creating entertainment the competition for attention is fierce. Therefore, despite avoiding the regulation of broadcast TV, those creating digital content must be as entertaining as any other media in order to gain an audience.

How did we get millions of people to go online, put on a pair of headphones and watch a film about audio technology in laptops? Simple. We created a piece of musical entertainment that hardly featured a laptop. Instead of a laptop, our star was the musician Plan B. As one of the biggest artists of the year, we combined his pulling power with revolutionary audio technology to re-record his biggest song in 3D sound. Millions watched, shared and advocated as they enjoyed a 3D version of their favourite song recreated by Plan B and HP.

Our mission was to reach a total of 4m people with the HP sound experiment. By the end of the campaign, we had reached 7.5m. 2.5m views of those had been generated online. The film proved so popular in cinemas that contractor DCM agreed to over deliver the campaign by an excess of 1.5m views.The campaign smashed sales targets. In fact, by the end of the campaign the Envy range of laptops sold out due to high demand.All brand perceptions improved - including the fact that post-campaign consumers were “Much more likely to choose HP” (21% vs. 8% pre-campaign).Brand perception measures were supported by positive comments recorded via YouTube and Twitter.“If this doesn’t make everyone buy a HP laptop I don’t know what will lol” babyfairy89“Love it! I have ordered one of these and love the artist …” twofacedbenbobby “It feels like he is walking around my head” gonigeena “the Audio is Unbelieavble!!! Mind Blowing” chonodrum“sounds amazing on my HP Envy Beats Edition ;)” Choropilla“… I watched this all the way through and have shown people since, well done HP it’s nice to be entertained …” FestMonstre