Fireman's fund movie.

With all the talk today about non-traditional media, who ever thought about commissioning a brand-brandishing, Hollywood-style documentary? Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. may be the first.

The 143-year-old company contracted Oscar-winning director Bill Couturie to make a gritty film about the real lives of firefighters. The world premiere of "Into the Fire" was held at the Director's Guild of America on Oct. 3. The film debuted on The History Channel on Oct. 6.

"Traditional media is not high trust--TV and print have been on the wane for years. Compound that with the fact that people don't trust insurance, and it gets to the question of: How can I can take my brand image and communicate it?" said Darryl Siry, chief marketing officer at Fireman's.

Siry said that the documentary film ties to the brand's social mission--the company still underwrites policies for the nation's 1.1 million firefighters and their departments--as well as "making an emotional connection."

For other brand marketers with dreams of making movies, Siry warns that the quality must be top notch. A lot of the so-called branded entertainment in the market comes across as either cheaply made or overly commercialized. In the case of Fireman's Fund, the film had to pass muster with the firefighters themselves.

But if the final product feels authentic, "it allows us to use it as a marketing platform without apologizing for it," said Siry. "'All I have to tell people is, 'It's a really good film.'"

The audience of the History Channel aligns well with the demographics of Fireman's Fund. But with the broadcast over, the distribution machine really revs up.

From the beginning, Siry engaged his distribution channel--independent insurance agents and brokers. They attended private screenings of the film before the L.A. premiere. And when the film goes to DVD, they will receive copies to share with their clients and prospects, especially in the fire service.

Best of all, the film's production represents a fixed-cost investment. No matter how many policy holders or firefighters see it in years to come, it won't cost the insurance carrier another dollar.