Sugar23

🚀 We have exciting news to share! Starbucks Studios will produce original entertainment with Sugar23 🚀 At Sugar23, we’re on a mission to give brands the ability to be at the forefront of premium entertainment. Partnering with Starbucks Studios, a global leader in brand storytelling, allows us to take this mission to the next level. Stay tuned for more updates as we embark on this exciting collaboration with Starbucks Studios. We can't wait to share what we have in store for you! Read more about it: https://lnkd.in/e7pmAtfZ  https://lnkd.in/ezbeB5qe

I will share my collective thoughts about Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the coming days but one of the great highlights for me was when I shared the stage with Shelley Zalis and José Andrés on the beautiful rooftop of The Female Quotient’s Equality Lounge. The intended subject of our panel was how brands can impact the world through entertainment. We went very off script. We talked about friendship and family and food and kicked off our shoes and just…connected. And while it was completely off plan, it was joyful and entertaining. The audience who we THOUGHT wanted one thing got another thing, entirely. Laughter, entertainment, moving stories of love and parenting, and something utterly unexpected. I couldn’t help but reflect on this moment in the context of the myriad conversations I had about “better measurement” AI, data- all of which are important. But the most important way to connect with your audience is to simply be truthful, invite them to a conversation rather than lecture to them, and meet them where they live…by entertaining them. And having some fun doing it.

Our CEO and Founder, Michael Sugar, will be speaking at #TribecaX2024 on June 10th at 2PM ET at Convene One Liberty Plaza. Joining Daniel Rosenberg (Co-Founder, Piro) and moderated by Adweek’s senior agency reporter Olivia Morley.    They'll discuss how Hollywood producers are reshaping marketing through premium storytelling. Learn how brand-led entertainment is the new model for cultural relevance and customer loyalty for brands. https://lnkd.in/e7XFsypY

Our very own Head of Brands Matthew Rotondo is on the Breaking & Entering podcast. Matt shares his journey that brought him to Sugar23. Check out the episode: 🎤Apple Podcast: https://lnkd.in/gxH7hZqE  🎤Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gWCDpjPu 

We had over 100 brands in the audience when THE WAY UPFRONTS premiered last week, and, from our point of view, we struck a new kind of relationship between brands and Hollywood. One of mutual financial gain. Brands have never had an issue gaining access to talent—but they HAVE had challenges accessing the talent. That’s because, no celebrity ever woke up and said, I’d really love to do a commercial.  What was so different about this event was that the best and brightest stars and producers in Hollywood, went TO the brands to pitch their passion projects- the nuance here is that the brands were seeing these projects BEFORE Hollywood distributors—instead of being called much later in the process, where the brands are paying for integrations or placement, or simply advertising adjacent to the content. Many of the projects presented are now in real discussions with brand partners who will have the opportunity not only to shape the creative to its needs, but to have an ownership position in the content, with real upside. Thanks for the excellent coverage Olivia Morley ADWEEK and to my partners Matthew Rotondo , Michael Mayer, Lindsey Slaby, Jolene Delisle, Betsy Hindman and of course the incredible deep bench at Sugar23.   The next edition of THE WAY UPFRONTS will be announced soon and we look forward to doing it again soon. Leave us a comment below if you’d like to learn more, or if you were there and would like to leave some feedback for us. Matt and I will be at Cannes Lions and hope to see many of you there. Read event coverage here: https://lnkd.in/ecx8GNfV

We had over 100 brands in the audience when THE WAY UPFRONTS premiered last week, and, from our point of view, we struck a new kind of relationship between brands and Hollywood. One of mutual financial gain. Brands have never had an issue gaining access to talent—but they HAVE had challenges accessing the talent. That’s because, no celebrity ever woke up and said, I’d really love to do a commercial.  What was so different about this event was that the best and brightest stars and producers in Hollywood, went TO the brands to pitch their passion projects- the nuance here is that the brands were seeing these projects BEFORE Hollywood distributors—instead of being called much later in the process, where the brands are paying for integrations or placement, or simply advertising adjacent to the content. Many of the projects presented are now in real discussions with brand partners who will have the opportunity not only to shape the creative to its needs, but to have an ownership position in the content, with real upside. Thanks for the excellent coverage Olivia Morley ADWEEK and to my partners Matthew Rotondo , Michael Mayer, Lindsey Slaby, Jolene Delisle, Betsy Hindman and of course the incredible deep bench at Sugar23.   The next edition of THE WAY UPFRONTS will be announced soon and we look forward to doing it again soon. Leave us a comment below if you’d like to learn more, or if you were there and would like to leave some feedback for us. Matt and I will be at Cannes Lions and hope to see many of you there. Read event coverage here: https://lnkd.in/ecx8GNfV

Brands will now have opportunities to get involved early in the premium content they would only be able to advertise against, or integrate with product placement. Sugar23 is overwhelmed by the enthusiasm from Hollywood's best producers and talent and by the volume of brands that are excited to participate in a new paradigm. This is not a market for branded content. These are world class, entertainment offerings that could live with premium distributors, because it all starts with the talent and IP. Read this great piece from Dade Hayes via Deadline Hollywood https://lnkd.in/emHek9Fa

Thank you to Brian Bonilla and Ad Age for profiling our work helping brands create premium entertainment, and our inaugural Way Upfronts event. We are debuting this new forum to shorten the distance between brands and Hollywood creators & talent. We’re joined in this endeavor by an incredible host committee - Scarlett Johansson, Colin Jost, Tom Brady, John Legend, Elizabeth Banks, Steven Soderbergh, and our own Michael Sugar and Matthew Rotondo. Special thanks to our colleague Michael Mayer for leading the Way Upfronts, and the creative team at The Working Assembly Read all about it ==> https://lnkd.in/eubGxagW #POSSIBLE24 #brandmarketing #marketing