Netflix & Google let viewers shop while watching Emily in Paris

I've been avoiding Emily in Paris since it first came out.

But then I accidentally binge-watched Season 1.

When Season 2 came out, I fell into the same pattern. I avoided it for SO long, then consumed it in one weekend.

I think (?) I managed to avoid Season 3.

But they've got me again.

Season 4 is out. And this time, I need to watch it for 'research'.

Why?

Because, by watching Season 4 of Emily in Paris, you can, for the first time, buy the outfits you see just by scanning them with your phone!!

All thanks to a collaboration between Google and Netflix.

A collaboration that targets Gen Z Luxury Buyers (a sub-category I only just discovered). A collaboration with the potential to absolutely decimate any savings goals I may have, now or in the future.

And, I have to hand it to them. They've chosen the perfect show for this kind of debut.

In case you haven't watched Emily in Paris, let me fill you in on the premise of the show...

It's all about an American marketing girly making her way in the French advertising world. She tries desperately to keep up with her chic, somewhat mean colleagues while trying to be a friendly and nice Girlboss.

Accompanying all this is a focus on fashion and luxury goods. Because these are her agency's clients. So most episodes focus on Emily developing incred, 'out-of-the-box' marketing strategies to sell products. She almost always manages to save the day, and prove her rude (but much more chic and cool) boss wrong.

So basically, it's an easy watch with yummy visuals and pretty fun storylines. And you sort of love it, but hate it. Or I do, at least.

So this Netflix-Google collab is honestly pretty meta.

I mean, using a show based all around marketing luxury goods, to actually market luxury goods?!

Bravo.

Especially when the aim of Google Lens is to 'turn your TV screen into your personal runway—effortlessly shopping the world’s fashion in one place.'

Even the commercials for the collaboration show Emily herself using the very shop-online tool to buy new clothes...

It's all about getting viewers to use Google's Lens technology on their mobiles to shop, while watching the show.

I think they picture us being so FLOORED by Emily's outfits that we'll just have to pause the show and buy her fit immediately. (If this becomes something I start doing, I really need my support network to step in and stop me.)

But it goes a little further than that. They've introduced pause ads that actually prompt you to do a little shopping. They're also using advertisements showing fictional Emily using the Google scan tech.

According to Vanity Fair (apt), this partnership also marks the very first time Netflix has let a sponsor 'co-brand' a pause ad and have title sponsorships... Seems like a bit of a big deal!

Sacré bleu!

There's also a lot more product placement and brand integration going on, unconnected to Google. But I'll save that for another article.

So... what can we learn here?

My main marketing takeaway from this whole scenario is that, fortunately or unfortunately (depending on your taste)...All of us working in marketing have to watch Season 4 of the show.

It's like professional development (ha).

But on a more serious note, this shows how marketers are becoming more and more innovative with their strategies when it comes to combining entertainment with product.

These kinds of campaigns are heralding a new age of advertising, where products are intertwined with art and entertainment.

So perhaps that's something to mull over at your next strategy brainstorm meeting?

-Maggie, Copywriter