Tag: Entertainment

Sydney, Australia – Media agency Initiative has announced that it is bringing back its ‘Marketing Multi’ betting platform, calling for the marketing industry to participate and try to predict the marketing trends around the upcoming Super Bowl. 

Built by Initiative’s cultural analytics department, Marketing Multi crowdsources predictions from industry experts across the world and combines it with generative AI to provide the most eclectic multi-market with odds updating live every day.

From celebrity ad cameos,expensive brand ads, and commercials made entirely by AI, Marketing Multi’s betting options features a series of strong contenders and wild cards to make it interesting. 

In the competition, punters can only bet yes or no on whether an outcome will occur and how many times they predict the outcome occurring. Scoring is based on probability with the final odds from each day added to a punter’s daily score calculation. Whoever has the highest cumulative score earns a highly sought after and super-legitimate official ‘Marketing-Multi Super Bowl Ring’.

For this 2024, the platform has evolved to feature new AI powered ‘match insights’ to guide first time betters. Using historic super bowl advertising trends and live web results, this will enable people to better understand the likelihood of each outcome and choose whether to play it safe or risk it.

Talking about this initiative, Chris Colter, chief strategy & product officer at Initiative, said, “The Super Bowl is the only place in culture where people not only pay attention to the ads, but actively lean into them. As brands open their wallets to take a real punt on leaving a lasting impression, it’s become a cultural litmus test for the trends that matter.”

Meanwhile, Ryan Haeusler, head of communications design at Initiative and architect of the platform, commented, “Every year we’ve looked to not just rerun The Marketing Multi, but evolve the experience. With these new AI powered features, it now offers a more equal playing field for people to participate and add to our already diverse winners list.”

The Marketing Multi is open to all agencies, marketers, media owners, or anyone simply wanting to have a punt and have some fun, with bets closing on February 7, 2024.

Seoul, South Korea – K-pop startup Modhaus has announced US$8m in funding for the development of its blockchain model Cosmo, dedicated to empower fan engagement through digital token purchases.

With said funding, Modhaus’ total fundraising adds up to US$12m. Investors include Sfermoin, alongside SM Culture Partners, Laguna Investment, Globalbrain (KDDI), and Foresight Ventures.

The new funding will aid in Modhaus’ vision of expanding Cosmo into “the K-pop equivalent of LinkedIn or Kickstarter.”

For the startup, Modhaus enables fans to directly elevate and influence artists, as opposed to producing content strictly for consumption. Its Cosmo platform uses blockchain technology to allow fans to purchase digital photocards that double as voting tokens. 

With this system, Cosmo empowers fans to actively participate in significant idol group-related decisions.

Jaden Jung, CEO and co-founder of Modhaus, said, “K-pop fans possess keen insights. With their sharp eyes for talent and trendspotting, we aim to enhance artist value through amplified fan involvement.”

Meanwhile, Joseph Baek, EVP and co-founder of Modhaus, commented, “Superfans are emerging as pivotal players in the music sphere. Strengthening the direct connection between fans and artists not only elevates the fan experience but also introduces a new level of engagement.”

Singapore – Online used car platform Carro celebrates its 8th anniversary with drama, launching 3 digital shorts that portray typical drama and film cliches, with some not so typical endings.  

Audiences can look forward to a K-drama style about a son’s true love and his unaccepting mother, then switch it up with a classic Thai horror tale that will unravel the horror of what’s truly hiding in plain sight in the garage, and lastly, finish it off with a Hong Kong love triangle that has you wondering if the female lead will end up choosing what’s really best for her.

Carro’s 3 digital shorts are the result of a multinational effort, fully shot on location in Malaysia, with teams from Singapore and Malaysia working on it, made authentic with a native cast and crew who flew in from Thailand and South Korea.

Katherine Teo, regional manager at Carro, said, “By tapping into our audience’s love for drama, we disguised our ads as genre films to let them know that any drama you get from our brand is strictly advertorial. For quality used cars that are fuss-free (and drama-free!) and As Good As New, Carro is the number one choice.”

Reflecting on 8 years of progress, Aaron Tan, group co-founder and CEO at Carro, commented, “I take great pride in what Carro has achieved and I am thankful for our dedicated employees, loyal customers, as well as our investors and collaborative partners who have taken us to these milestones. I look forward to many more good years as we contribute to even more sustainable, safe and accessible mobility solutions for all.”

Additionally, Carro will also be celebrating by throwing big promotions for customers around the region, specifically in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

Singapore – Beginning on October 16 in honour of The Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary, social media platform TikTok would be collaborating with Disney for a  first-of-its-kind destination within TikTok that invites Disney fans to a unique interactive experience where stories, magic and memories come together.

Through TikTok, fans will be able to watch videos from across Disney’s brands, create their own videos with Disney music and effects, play Disney trivia, and collect and trade “Character Cards” of characters to win unique profile frames to show off their fandom.

With more than 48 Disney handles participating, the four-week activation will be live in 24 regions around the globe, highlighting the breadth of content from The Walt Disney Company. Fans of Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, ESPN, National Geographic, Disney Parks and beyond can expect daily reminders of why they connected with their favourite characters, franchises, movies, and Disney memories.

In addition, TikTok is curating a special Disney100 Playlist for our community featuring some of the most popular hits from the Disney catalogue, including songs from classic movies like ‘Cinderella’ and ‘The Lion King’, as well as the upcoming ‘Wish’, alongside hits from the likes of ‘Toy Story’ and ‘High School Musical’.

Nicole Iacopetti, global head of content at TikTok, said, “The Walt Disney Company has an incredible legacy of bringing joy and excitement to a global community through its iconic films and TV series, heartwarming characters, thrilling parks and memorable brands.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with Disney to celebrate the company’s undeniable impact on entertainment and on families around the world, starting by giving TikTok’s passionate community of Disney fans unique access to content and experiences they can’t find anywhere else”, she added.

Singapore – Baidu’s subscription video on-demand over-the-top (OTT) streaming service, iQIYI, has surpassed the $3b milestone in terms of consumer spending across Apple’s App Store and Google Play, according to the latest estimate reports from data.ai.

According to the data, iQIYI generated a total of $180 million in gross revenue globally during the first half of 2023, securing the sixth spot among the world’s top-grossing OTT entertainment platforms, standing tall among giants like Disney+, which secured the first spot, and Max from Warner Bros. at second.

The data further shows that exclusive content plays have driven adoption. Recorded data identifies August 2021 as a standout month for iQIYI, as the OTT streaming service garnered a combined total of 12.5 million installs across both the iOS and Google Play stores globally.

Top markets for iQIYI are concentrated in the APAC region, and the surge in downloads coincided with iQIYI’s strategic move to cater to a broader viewership base by producing and streaming Southeast Asian shows as exclusive iQIYI originals.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – AirAsia has enlisted the help of Malaysian synth-pop artist Sam Lopez (aka lost spaces) for the Sounds of Asean music project to celebrate and showcase the diversity of Southeast Asia for ASEAN Day.

‘Sounds of Asean’ contains a line-up of tracks featuring five songs from five cities: Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, and Singapore. Each track is based on field recordings and will feature audio bites from these eclectic destinations.

For this audio journey project, the Malaysian artist visited these cities, mingling with the locals, embarking on adventures, capturing the sounds, and sampling the vibes of Asean along the way.

Rudy Khaw, CEO of airasia brand co., shared the reasons as to why they chose Sam for the project.

“Sam’s music has this great chill vibe, yet at the same time, it also features bright, clean sounds and great use of sound sampling. We knew right away that we had to get him to work with us on this project. We’ve always been passionate about supporting local talent, and Sam has really managed to bring each city to life with Sounds of Asean,” he said.

Sam has created an audiovisual experience through the Sounds of Asean that brings the listener (or viewer) closer to the rest of Asean, allowing them to immerse themselves in the region’s rich, intricate tapestry.

His works were inspired by the heritage buildings, hawkers, jeepneys, and tuk-tuks, train announcements, temple bells, and even local cats he encountered during his travels for the project.

Speaking on this project, Sam hopes that the vibes of each city will inspire more people to get out and explore the world.

“Bangkok is one of my favourite cities, I call Kuala Lumpur home, Singapore is just so well-planned and walkable. I love Jakarta’s music scene, and this project also brought me to Manila for the first time! Before this project, I’d never thought about how different yet ‘same same’ we are in Southeast Asia, and it’s been fun to work on this project and come up with these tracks,” he added. 

The project will also feature a full playlist and an upcoming travelogue series on Sam’s guide to his favourite places in each of these cities.

India – To promote the Indian premiere of the horror film ‘Insidious: The Red Door’, local cinema chain PVR-INOX has embarked on a recent campaign to challenge one lucky winner to watch said film in one of their cinema chains. The catch? Watch it all alone.

The film for the campaign, directed by Titus Upputuru who founded The Titus Upputuru Company, shows the winner Vicky walking into a PVX-INOX chain. After settling down in the theatre, smiling to himself, he starts enjoying the film. But soon the scary scenes in the film start to take their toll on him and he begins to be increasingly frightened.

When he can no longer take the intense scenes from the film combined with the scary sounds, he runs down the stairs, tripping over and falling down. He quickly picks himself up and heads out. The horrors do not seem to be over him, as he senses something vile in his car, down the parking lot. 

Shony Panjikaran, general manager and head of Sony Pictures Releasing International in India, said, “We embarked on a thrilling journey with PVR INOX, creating a captivating tale to unveil the final chapter of Insidious. This horror-filled promotion explores the consequences when one dares to venture into the chilling world of fear, alone at a cinema.” 

He added, “From an Instagram contest that sparked an overwhelming response, Vicky emerged as the brave victor who stepped into the darkness, only to have his senses tested to the limit. Insidious: The Red Door delivers an unforgettable cinematic experience which needs to be witnessed on the big screen, like the grandest screens at PVR INOX.”

Meanwhile, Upputuru commented, “It is one thing to watch a horror film on a small screen at home. It is quite another to watch it on a big screen, alone! It was great fun shooting the film. The task was not just to capture the protagonist’s feelings and emotions but to manifest what was going on in his mind. That was the big challenge.” 

He added, “There were several elements that we used to create the atmosphere of fear. The colours, the mirrors, the lonely top shots, the red apparition, the creepy hands, the sounds, and the edit, all went into making the experience both real and surreal.” 

Singapore – Global media and entertainment group Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has announced that it is rebranding its kids’ television channel Boomerang to Cartoonito in Southeast Asia. The rebrand officially takes effect on July 28. Cartoonito is previously the preschool brand of Cartoon Network.

As a full regional channel offering, Cartoonito will introduce a new generation to a diverse slate of original series and welcome them into the world of WBD’s iconic franchises. Modern preschool adaptations that support each child’s unique potential include fan-favourite franchises such as ‘Batwheels’ and ‘Bugs Bunny Builders’.

Channel favourites including ‘Tom & Jerry’, ‘Baby Looney Tunes’, ‘Alice & Lewis’, ‘Pat the Dog’, and ‘Grizzy and the Lemmings’ will remain on the channel, alongside other friends such as ‘Dino Ranch’, and ‘Mumfie and Tangranimals’. 

Cartoonito brings together all of these characters on one channel – while adding brand-new shows like ‘Mittens & Pants’ and ‘Vida the Vet’ – offering a wider variety of programmes for users.

The channel’s modern approach to preschool programming is supported by an educational framework called ‘Humancentric Learning’. All Cartoonito shows follow a curriculum – designed by early childhood education expert Dr. Laura Brown – to form the four pillars of: Creativity, Caring, Curiosity and Courage. The brand aims to inspire kids aged 2-6 to use their imagination, to learn from their mistakes and to treat others with empathy and respect. 

Christopher Ho, head of kids networks for Southeast Asia at Warner Bros. Discovery, said, “In a year when Warner Bros. celebrates 100 years of entertaining fans, Cartoonito is set to ignite the imaginations of our region’s youngest audience. Our new-look preschool channel celebrates individuality and originality, offering a safe space where kids and their families can laugh and learn alongside beloved characters.”

Seoul, South Korea – Popular streaming platform Netflix has announced that it has pledged US$2.5b in investment to South Korea’s entertainment scene, including the creation of films, series, and other unscripted shows for the next four years.

The announcement was made following a meeting with Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos with South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol following the latter’s ongoing state trip in the United States.

According to Sarandos, said investment is twice the company had previously pledged in the Korean market since they started service in Korea in 2016.

“We were able to make this decision because we have great confidence that the Korean creative industry will continue to tell great stories. We were also inspired by the President’s love and strong support for the Korean entertainment industry and fueling the Korean wave,” he said.

Sarandos also added that with the partnership, they will continue to grow with the local industry while sharing the joy of entertainment with Korean storytellers to their fans around the world.

“I have no doubt our investment will strengthen our long-term partnership with Korea and Korea’s creative ecosystem. We are deepening our partnership with the Korean creative industry, which has produced global hits such as ‘Squid Game’, ‘The Glory’, and ‘Physical:100’,” he concluded.

Manila, Philippines – Media giant ABS-CBN has announced a partnership with Indian over-the-top (OTT) service MX Player to bring several of its shows to India, dubbed in multiple languages such as Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, Kannada, and Malayalam.

Some of these shows include “The General’s Daughter”, “Hanggang Saan” (A Mother’s Guilt), “A Love to Last”, “Mea Culpa”, and “Love Thy Woman”.

According to ABS-CBN, its recent partnership reflects its cross-border endeavours, such as international co-productions, content adaptations, and multilingual distributions, which is deemed a ‘timely opportunity’ for them.

Maribel Hernaez, managing director for Asia-Pacific at ABS-CBN Global, said, “In this partnership, ABS-CBN and MX Player are able to show to a wider range of audience the shared culture of Filipinos and Indians, and – more importantly – a true humanity through exceptional storytelling. Whether it’s about revenge or a love story, crime or action, family or society, viewers will surely find a story apt to their taste.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for MX Player said, “MX Vdesi is a content category that is performing extremely well on our platform, and we strive to bring viewers compelling stories from around the world in an Indian language of their preference. We’re delighted to expand into a new international territory with the addition of these five Filipino titles and we believe the highly relevant and relatable narratives will strike a chord with Indian audiences.”

The new partnership comes after a recent partnership by ABS-CBN with Warner Brothers Discovery to bring several of its lifestyle programs across APAC viewers. ABS-CBN has also teamed up with media giant rival GMA Network to bring several of its ‘Star Cinema’ movies to the network, as well as partnering with Hong Kong telco SmarTone to provide Filipino entertainment content in Hong Kong.