I can't say I've often come across 10-minute chunks of branded content that I watch from beginning to end. But this is definitely one of them.

"Jeff Goldblum and Sterling K. Brown Decorate Holiday Cookies" is an absolute delight—and it's one long ad for Kroger. Created by Funny or Die, the video builds on the momentum of the "Cooking With Jeff" series by having the two stars sit down (at an admirable social distance) and chat about their lives and the holidays.

Celebrities are rarely used in any meaningful way by marketers, with most just happy to have a star working out or standing around with a logo prominently in view. That's changing as Hollywood talents learn that visibility and approachability can go hand in hand, but it's still up to the people behind ad concepts to find the right stars to feature.

In this case, Goldblum and Brown have a truly fascinating and warm conversation, and you learn a lot about both (including that Brown's father was a clerk at Kroger). My personal favorite anecdote is that Goldblum's parents, as the only Jewish family in a Christian neighborhood, kept a Christmas tree every year, but hid it in the basement "like Normal Bates' mother."

Watch the clip on Adweek.com, where you can also check out some of Kroger's previous work with Funny or Die in the "charmingly relatable celebrity" space.

What sponsored content have you watched and earnestly enjoyed? What made it work for you, and what could marketers learn it? Let me know at the email below or at @Griner on Twitter.

David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
David.Griner@Adweek.com

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