Sapient Interactive (NASDAQ: SAPE) today announced the official launch of its full-service, in-house creative and broadcast production group, Sapient Entertainment. Sapient Entertainment is led by Director of Entertainment and Executive Producer Jim Houck, a member of the Writers' Guild of America who has sold feature screenplays and teleplays to Universal Studios and Sony/UPN. Houck has also worked for Crispin, Porter & Bogusky where his groundbreaking work earned clients One Show, Clio, Cannes Lions and International ANDY awards.
Recognized as one of the largest and fastest-growing independent agencies worldwide, Sapient Interactive continues to expand its capabilities in emerging areas that are increasingly important to marketers -- including social media and mobile marketing, cross-channel e-commerce and now entertainment. With the launch of this full-service creative and broadcast offering, Sapient Interactive can now provide original and distinctive web shows to global marketers hungry for new, innovative ways to reach consumers.
"Sapient Entertainment is founded on the inarguable fact that stimulating customers' emotions in connection with a purchasing decision is the most effective means to drive sales," said Sapient Chief Creative Officer Gaston Legorburu. "Brands cannot simply create thinly veiled advertising and hope to reach today's ad-resistant viewers."
With over 45 years of combined broadcast experience, the Sapient Entertainment team creates high-concept shows that synergistically link a client's product with a positive emotional experience, triggering the "I want that" response. Unlike branded content, which often causes consumers to resist brand messaging due to its transparent intent, Sapient Entertainment's focus is to entertain viewers. The team conceives, writes, produces and develops broadcast-quality content for online, network television and theatrical release. Sapient Entertainment currently has developed a variety of projects including a viral series for Coke/Europe, episodic documentary shows for Celebrity Cruises and an in-house theatrical feature in pre-production.
"In an era where consumers are immune to advertising and technologically empowered to delete it, legitimate entertainment is a fun and extremely effective sales tool," said Houck. "The core difference between entertainment versus traditional advertising and branded content is this: entertainment pays the viewer back for their time by entertaining them, while advertising and branded content ask the viewer for their time and money. Sapient Entertainment develops core strategic thinking with clients' new and existing campaigns to guide consumers' desire for a product within a welcome medium that influences them to make a purchase decision. We have proven that entertainment-driven marketing can be blended in a manner that is mutually beneficial to both industries, empowering brand and story."
Sapient Entertainment recently partnered with Celebrity Cruises to create, script and produce an ongoing documentary series for the company's branded "The Starring You Network". The Starring You Network appears on Celebrity's home page and showcases all the ways passengers can receive "Star Treatment" including spa treatments, shore excursions and onboard dining at specialty restaurants. To provide further value on Celebrity's production investment, Sapient Entertainment has also cut viral videos and movie trailers with footage from the shows for potential usage in future campaigns.
About Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise experiences with highly personalized service, exceptional dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South America. The line also offers unique cruise tour vacations in Alaska, Canada, Europe and South America. Noted for four of the top 10 "Top Cruise Ships in the World" in the large-ship category, as voted by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (February 2009 readers' poll), Celebrity's fleet - including the new Celebrity Solstice - will be joined by Celebrity Equinox this year, Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011, and a fifth in 2012. For more information, call your travel agent, dial 1-800-437-3111 or visit www.celebritycruises.com.
Recognized as one of the largest and fastest-growing independent agencies worldwide, Sapient Interactive continues to expand its capabilities in emerging areas that are increasingly important to marketers -- including social media and mobile marketing, cross-channel e-commerce and now entertainment. With the launch of this full-service creative and broadcast offering, Sapient Interactive can now provide original and distinctive web shows to global marketers hungry for new, innovative ways to reach consumers.
"Sapient Entertainment is founded on the inarguable fact that stimulating customers' emotions in connection with a purchasing decision is the most effective means to drive sales," said Sapient Chief Creative Officer Gaston Legorburu. "Brands cannot simply create thinly veiled advertising and hope to reach today's ad-resistant viewers."
With over 45 years of combined broadcast experience, the Sapient Entertainment team creates high-concept shows that synergistically link a client's product with a positive emotional experience, triggering the "I want that" response. Unlike branded content, which often causes consumers to resist brand messaging due to its transparent intent, Sapient Entertainment's focus is to entertain viewers. The team conceives, writes, produces and develops broadcast-quality content for online, network television and theatrical release. Sapient Entertainment currently has developed a variety of projects including a viral series for Coke/Europe, episodic documentary shows for Celebrity Cruises and an in-house theatrical feature in pre-production.
"In an era where consumers are immune to advertising and technologically empowered to delete it, legitimate entertainment is a fun and extremely effective sales tool," said Houck. "The core difference between entertainment versus traditional advertising and branded content is this: entertainment pays the viewer back for their time by entertaining them, while advertising and branded content ask the viewer for their time and money. Sapient Entertainment develops core strategic thinking with clients' new and existing campaigns to guide consumers' desire for a product within a welcome medium that influences them to make a purchase decision. We have proven that entertainment-driven marketing can be blended in a manner that is mutually beneficial to both industries, empowering brand and story."
Sapient Entertainment recently partnered with Celebrity Cruises to create, script and produce an ongoing documentary series for the company's branded "The Starring You Network". The Starring You Network appears on Celebrity's home page and showcases all the ways passengers can receive "Star Treatment" including spa treatments, shore excursions and onboard dining at specialty restaurants. To provide further value on Celebrity's production investment, Sapient Entertainment has also cut viral videos and movie trailers with footage from the shows for potential usage in future campaigns.
About Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale cruise experiences with highly personalized service, exceptional dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity sails in Alaska, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South America. The line also offers unique cruise tour vacations in Alaska, Canada, Europe and South America. Noted for four of the top 10 "Top Cruise Ships in the World" in the large-ship category, as voted by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (February 2009 readers' poll), Celebrity's fleet - including the new Celebrity Solstice - will be joined by Celebrity Equinox this year, Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011, and a fifth in 2012. For more information, call your travel agent, dial 1-800-437-3111 or visit www.celebritycruises.com.
