Getting an agent or manager is pretty hard, which is why we wrote the guide to representation. But sometimes those agents, managers, and lawyers don’t want you…they want cheese.
The Hollywood Reporter announced today that United Talent Agency (UTA) has officially signed a new client: The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium.
Yes. I was not kidding. The cheese.
But before you start making jokes about who is going to be the “big cheese” on set, there is a very real lesson here for filmmakers, producers, and anyone trying to finance a project in the modern entertainment landscape.
Let’s dive in.
It All Comes Down to Story
According to The Hollywood Reporter, this isn’t just a standard ad buy. The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium (the governing body that protects the authenticity of the Italian cheese) isn’t interested in just slapping a 30-second spot before a YouTube video.
I would say this is going to be like a dedicated product placement campaign. There are apparently very strict parameters around this 1000-year-old cheese.
Thanks to its Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, true Parmigiano Reggiano is geographically locked to just five Italian provinces and subject to draconian ingredient standards.
Maybe there’s a biopic in there!
Carmine Forbuso, head of marketing for the Consortium of Parmigiano Reggiano, said, “This partnership with UTA, a leading agency in cultural marketing, allows us to connect with new audiences in an authentic and relevant way. With just three natural ingredients and centuries of artisanal know-how, Parmigiano Reggiano stands for simplicity, quality and depth, and we’re excited to explore new formats and platforms to express this story globally.”
The Takeaway For Filmmakers
Add cheese to every dinner scene! I am mostly joking, but the lines between “talent” and “brand” are blurring. Agencies are aggressively looking for vehicles for their corporate clients just as much as their human ones.
It wouldn’t be the worst idea to learn about these partnerships and include them in your specs. That might get your agent thinking outside the box about who can support the work you’re doing.
The whole thing is staying aware of what’s going on and knowing what the landscape is like in Hollywood.
Summing It Up
I guess the main thing is that the next time you’re breaking down your script and budgeting for props, take a second look at the dinner scene. If you can make that pasta look good enough, UTA might just have a check waiting for you.
Other than that, product placement looks like it is the wave of the future. So think about that in your pitches to sweeten any deals and ideas.
And also, even if UTA picked cheese, they’re going to need someone to tell cheese’s story.
That could be you, too.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
Dining and Cooking