Animax Entertainment won't slip on a banana with their creativity
If you are a long time fan of SCTV or you found yourself in front of the TV set on Sunday evenings to watch the ‘Wonderful World of Disney” when you were a child, you are much like me. I recently sat down with many key executives who are influencing the way we are watching our favorite shows. A clever company that’s focuses on short video clips and family-oriented games is Animax Entertainment, founded in 2001 by SCTV co-creator Dave Thomas and serial entrepreneur Andy Bain. Acting as a production studio for many clients, it has extensive experience creating interactive games for companies like Sesame Street, ABC Family, Nickelodeon, Disney, and Spin Master. The studio just debuted an animated celebrity spoof TV show on MTV titled “Popzilla,” a rapid fire animated sketch show that skewers pop culture as it happens. Parodying Perez tirades, Speidi stunts, and every other celebrity misstep from Hollywood to DC are all mocked up. The Hollywood style press erupted around this network is not a surprise to me. The show airs Monday through Thursday @ 6:30 PM.
Popzilla takes a jab at Jennifer Aniston
FunNugget features video shorts as well as a host of interactive titles
I recently sat down with Tucker Aaron who leads the strategy for Animax. His background holds a niche entrepreneurship within the entertainment field. We were both in sync with what will be the changing face of online entertainment and social networks. My self interest with mobile phone content delivery practices and traditional media sparked quite the conversation. We talked about broadcast business models historically developed by traditional television networks. Now, all three audiences, television, the internet, and mobile audiences can view branded entertainment with fresh new programming. Big brand companies have new distribution channels for programs, which can run as long as a half an hour. This creative collaboration carries a solid return on investment for audiences on the go.
“Generally speaking, branded entertainment is most often associated with adult-content. However, in a broader sense, any game, widget, or online experience can be considered branded entertainment” said Aaron. “I would argue that a special virtual world for Disney’s Cars franchise or Mattel’s HotWheels franchise is definitely branded entertainment – aimed at kids – to sell more physical products (toys, DVDs, etc.).”
While he explained the recent launch of Popzilla, this strategist noted pieces of information about gaming. Animax Entertainment is developing other kids and family-friendly related projects including Little Pim’s Word Bag, a language education iPhone app for toddlers derived from the award-winning Little Pim DVD series and Todd Parr’s Planet Color, launching initially as an iPhone app geared toward preschoolers.
Funnugget.com
Yet another ancillary product on the rise is FunNugget. This ad supported network will concentrate on family entertainment for free memberships. FunNugget.com is host of an interactive games and video site that has original and syndicated video content as well as single player games for all ages. Multi-player functionality is in progress as well as new features including avatars, virtual goods, and other fun games, video and activities and will launch in the coming months. Being a girl at heart, I jumped onto the interactive game, “Animal Costume Dress Up”. And if the truth be told, I spent over well over an hour on dressing up my teddy while I refreshed the page to watch the big brand commercials at the start of the game. I had a great time noting the rotation of commercials. From the Airwick to Tide detergent, I witnessed a smart play for both moms and tots.
“While there are many examples of branded, viral videos targeting male demographics like the Levi’s “Jeans Jump” video or the Gatorade “Ball Girl”, moms are quickly becoming a very sought after target.” said Aaron. We are seeing more polished, produced content coming from big brands - some of the more successful examples are “In the Motherhood” by Sprint and “Mom Life” by SC Johnson.”
Animax’s future looks bright with a slate of new projects in its production pipeline. I will take a closer look of what is in store for Animax and include you as a reader for sneak peak and studio perspectives from Tucker and this clever company.
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Tucker Aaron - Lead Strategist
Tucker drives business development and strategic planning for Animax. With over a decade of interactive marketing expertise, Tucker develops big ideas for virtual worlds, digital media and branded entertainment projects. He has rich experience in online advertising and marketing, consulting, product management, and financial analysis. Prior to Animax, Tucker led the Client Services group at Tocquigny, a top 50 interactive agency. He also held senior positions at HSM Group (VP, Business Development) and Citigroup (VP Product Manager – eBusiness). He began his career as Media Director for M2K, a leading digital ad agency in Austin, TX. Tucker holds an MBA from the University of Texas and a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania.
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