The Work That Made Me: Meilani Weiss

A brand integration and marketing expert, Meilani specialises in connecting media platforms and content creators with brands to build successful entertainment marketing partnerships. 

Seasoned in developing organic product placements for a vast collection of brand clients - including technology, QSR, beverage, sprits, transportation, healthcare, and insurance categories - Meilani negotiates paid and unpaid media integrations, as well as deep brand partnerships across multiple platforms, including television, film, music videos, and digital. 

In addition, in 2022 Meilani helped build and launch 'UpstreamPOP,' R&CPMK and IPG 

Mediabrands ground breaking technology platform providing end-to-end solutions for agency clients looking for brand integration opportunities and partnerships with content creators and media platforms across the entertainment ecosystem. For more info on UpstreamPOP click here.

The film from my childhood that stays with me…

Meilani> E.T. is that film I have always loved since childhood. It was for me, and a lot of people, the first introduction to product placement with Reese’s Pieces. When I think of my earliest memory of brand integration, it always takes me back to that film – and the great thing about working in this space is being involved in projects that I’m passionate about. 

The platform that made me want to get into the industry…

Meilani> All television in general. I love content, and have personally found TV and film to be a passion point in my personal life, so being able to harness that and get involved in it from a business and marketing perspective was something I’ve always been interested in. I think back to when I was studying in college, and the content everyone in the dorms was watching was 'Friends.' Right out of college, when I was just getting into this business, I got to work on the show and ended up placing the beer on the top of Joey’s fridge and doing a lot of the placements in the show. It was great to be able to take that passion point that I was so curious about, and then bring it to fruition by being work on product placement right out of the gate.  

The creative work that I keep revisiting…

Meilani> This is a tough one because I think that what makes everything unique about different integrations or promotional projects is that everyone tries to make something new, every time. But if I had to pick one industry example off the top of my head, I love to go back to 'The Italian Job' and MINI – where the brand was basically a character in the movie, and it really did have its own personality too. Being able to organically weave in a brand, get that personality across and have it really become a hero in the film, that’s the Gold Star and that’s what everyone tries to achieve. 

My first professional project…

Meilani> My first big one that I was really excited about was 'The Matrix 2.' I had Ducati motorcycles as a client, and getting the opportunity to work on the next instalment of this huge movie and integrating this amazing Italian motorcycle into it was special. It was interesting because only certain colours were allowed into 'The Matrix' – so we had to paint this Ducati motorcycle forest green to fit the colour scheme. It was so unique and exciting, and we actually kept some of them! I’d seen the first movie while studying, and it was such a phenomenon that nobody had seen anything like it. Then to get to work on the sequel, and be involved in that way, that was great. 

The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…

Meilani> An example that really makes me cringe is the Peloton placement in the 'Sex And The City' reboot, 'And Just Like That.' Spoiler alert for anyone who hasn’t seen it – Big dies on the Peloton from a heart attack. Which, to me, was just awful. It just wasn’t handled properly. If only Peloton had been working with an agency or someone who could properly vet everything, they would have stayed miles away from it and not done it. It does make me sad for them, because it was disastrous and had a ripple effect. But it’s a strong reminder to everyone on my team to ensure that we are properly vetting everything, because just as something can be overwhelming positive, it can also be equally as negative. 

The creative project that changed my career…

Meilani> I was representing Cisco Technology at the time, and the producer of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' was so keen to have Jimmy connect to everybody at home and was looking for ways to have the viewing audience be part of the show. Because we represented Cisco, we knew there was some kind of smart technology we could use. So, we worked with the producers of the show and the team from Cisco to create 'The Wall of America, powered by Cisco.' 

The reason I say that project changed my career, is that it was really a different way of looking at things and getting brands involved in productions and with entertainment. We were taking brands down a different avenue and making production company partnerships, offering them something unique and valuable that helped with the production and everything behind the scenes. This was something we then were able to replicate with 'The Ellen Show', and Reese Witherspoon’s production company Hello Sunshine. It just changed the way we did things. 

The work that I’m proudest of…

Meilani> It’s not one piece of work, as I’m honestly proud of it all. Each and every project takes time, hard work and dedication, and I’ve been so lucky to mentor and shape a wonderful team. So it’s been super rewarding to see them be able to do all of this phenomenal work now too. As I mentioned, early on in my career, I was in the weeds working on different sets and different productions, but now I’m proud to have all these incredible individuals that make up a global team. It’s a prime example of how you get back what you give, seeing everyone flourish and having them grow in their careers is my proudest achievement. 

The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…

Meilani> For season three of 'Emily in Paris,' we collaborated with Netflix and Paramount to integrate Grey Goose into a party scene within the show at Alfie’s new grand Parisian apartment. Being a French brand, Grey Goose was a natural fit for the show, and the character alignment and setting lent itself to being an authentic opportunity for the brand. We secured a Grey Goose martini being poured, a wonderful verbal mention by a lead character, and the cherry on top was a memorable kiss between Emily and Alfie over a bottle of Grey Goose. I love being able to find those organic opportunities in shows that really are part of our cultural zeitgeist.