“medium: for living ideas”, a new branded entertainment shop and original entertainment content studio based in Los Angeles, has launched, delivering a non-traditional and fully integrated vertical solution for brand marketers to reach consumers with original multi-channel content that has stand-alone creative entertainment value, while also delivering compelling brand-centric messages.
The evolution of “medium” stems from its two entertainment sister companies – Triage Entertainment (a full-service television production company producing shows for major broadcast and cable networks like Iron Chef and Greatest American Dog, the latter which is also co-executive produced by R.J. Cutler) and Levity Entertainment (the majority owner of the IMPROV comedy franchise operating the largest retail comedy footprint in the country and producers of prime time comedy specials and DVDs).
Triage and Levity, which have backed “medium” with financing, a veteran executive team, and some of the industry’s best creative talent, see the asset aggregation that the two companies provide “medium™” as a paradigm shift in traditional branding, product placement and promotional advertising.
Through the partnership with Triage and Levity, “medium™” opens its doors with several major integrated programs that are indicative of its philosophy for notable brand clients including Pepsi’s Sierra Mist and IBN (In-Store Broadcast Network). Combining the heft of all three sister companies, the aim of “medium™” is to deliver corporations and other brand entities the opportunity to create a relationship between the customer and the brand that is enjoyable and engaging and offers a degree of stickiness, loyalty and return participation that eludes other forms of traditional marketing.
“‘medium’ will draw assets from the multitude of projects and talent that pass through our companies to create new content and distribution opportunities for brands,” said Stu Schreiberg, CEO of Triage Entertainment. “With the further advancement and acceptance of digital content, we see the role of ‘medium’ as bridging a gap in our existing business model, not only for new media and future television projects, but for a new savvy audience that wants to be both engaged and entertained by a brand.”
“medium” is being spearheaded by Ron Walter and Claudia Cahill, two branded entertainment execs who most recently ran programs for AXE, Nestlé’s Stouffers, Lean Cuisine and Purina brands. Both have had long careers and multiples successes with top advertising agencies including Goodby Silverstein, Hal Riney, Grey Worldwide and the Omnicom agencies, and are recognized as trendsetters in the area of multi-platform marketing.
For Sierra Mist, “medium” is currently creating a 30-episode animated news show, told from the perspective of a group of 24-year olds that have created their own version of the news – with a refreshing and humorous slant that can only be communicated through animation. Additionally, “medium” is developing a comedy-centric creative lab for Sierra Mist, which is staffed with major comedy show runners, writers, producers and performers with the goal of developing new forms of creative communication for the Sierra Mist consumer.
“medium” is also developing retail-based entertainment programming for IBN, In-Store Broadcast Network. With placement in Walgreens, Kroger, Duane Reed and Subway, IBN programs will consist of short episodic content supported by brand integration that delivers entertaining messages at the purchase decision level.
