“Fuel has a great body of characters and stories with limitless creative possibilities, said Michael Polis, CEO, Wildbrain. “As a company, we will strategically integrate the proven Fuel Industries branded properties and characters into our studio’s content and distribution businesses. Under this agreement, we are looking at a number of properties that have the potential to become sustainable franchises and growth drivers on a number of media platforms,” he continued.

“Our development deal with W!LDBRAIN, combined with their successful portfolio of world-class animation and family entertainment, is a major step in our company’s efforts to realize the full potential of our interactive properties,” said Mike Burns, CEO of Fuel Industries. “As a digital agency expanding into an original content creator, we are confident that our expertise in building audiences for brands will continue to generate success for our own IP.”

Current Fuel Entertainment properties in development and/or production at Wildbrain include:

AllGirlArcade.com – A rapidly-expanding tween girl gaming portal and virtual world (Spark City) based on Fuel’s ‘Clik Stars’ property. The property is currently one of the web’s fastest growing girl’s portals, and includes a vibrant social network and a host of original web and mobile games based on the colorful characters.

Fairies and Dragons – A property for kids 6-10 that appeals to both girls and boys through the unique combination of four fairies and their elemental dragon friends into a magical storyline that has already captured hearts across Europe as the world’s first Digital McDonald’s Happy MealTM.

Sideway – A property for teenage boys that captures the art, passion and individuality of the underground graffiti culture that lives within today’s urban youth. Sideway follows the adventures of Noz, a rebellious New York youth, and his mysterious journey through the wacked out realm of Sideway, a two-dimensional world that exists solely on the city’s walls.

Tetsurai – Set in a steampunk-inspired alternate future of clanking iron and hissing steam, Tetsurai is an engrossing property for teen boys that combines television, an MMO, an arcade fighter and a role-playing game in a dark, sci-fi package.

About W!LDBRAIN:

Wildbrain is an award-winning entertainment company and one of the world’s foremost producers of animation. The studio develops and produces television, motion pictures, short-form programming, commercial content and licensed merchandise. The studio has produced an exceptional slate of programming, including the critically acclaimed television series Yo Gabba Gabba! (Nick Jr.) and live touring show Yo Gabba Gabba!: There’s A Party in My City; The Ricky Gervais Show (HBO) and the hit Disney series, Higglytown Heroes. Wildbrain and its creative team have won top industry awards. In film, the studio won an Annie for its computer graphics short film, Hubert’s Brain. Wildbrain has received Clios, Addys, BDA Awards and Annies for their commercial work, reinvigorating classic brands for leading companies including The Coca-Cola Company, Honda, Kraft and Nike and has gained national attention for their animation work on behalf of Esurance, Ubisoft and Virgin America. Some upcoming television and short-form projects include Bubble Guppies, an animated series for Nick Jr., The Hard Times of RJ Berger, an animated series for MTV and Team Smithereen, the short-form stunt puppet show from Dan Clark. Wildbrain’s sister company, Kidrobot, creates limited edition toys, clothing, artwork and books, with stores in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami. Wildbrain is based in Los Angeles, CA.

About Fuel Industries

Fuel Industries is a multiple award-winning interactive studio that lives at the intersection of marketing and entertainment. With 100 employees and presence in Canada, the US, and the UK, Fuel has built audiences by creating entertaining online experiences both for major international brands and its own licensed entertainment properties. Fuel’s diverse holdings include interests in game development, video production, sound design, social media, and mobile marketing. Passionate about redefining the interactive agency and inventing the future of online content, Fuel’s clients and joint venture partners include Electronic Arts, Paramount, Fox, Microsoft, Intel, MTV, Vans and HBO. For additional information, visit www.fuelindustries.com.

Microsoft launched an online haiku contest this month targeting IT professionals. To win a home theater system and an Xbox 360 Elite console, IT pros can submit their best haikus about the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system via Twitter or the campaign’s microsite, R2Haiku.com.

The effort, developed by digital agency Fuel Industries, promotes R2, which launched in September. Its goal is both customer acquisition and retention, and also to get users of older operating systems to update to a newer version, said William Lewallen, senior product manager at Microsoft.

Users can follow the initiative at www.Twitter.com/r2haiku or do a Twitter search for #r2haiku.

Sudhir Diddee, senior marketing manager and IT pro audience lead at Microsoft, said using Twitter gives the company the most relevant feedback from its IT audience.

“These are complex products, and these guys can pull out the key features in 140 characters and in a fun way,” he explained. “This drives deep engagement without being very time consuming.”

Full Story: DMNews | Microsoft Launches Twitter Contest for IT Pros ]]> http://www.fuelindustries.com/mediaroom/2009-11-25/dmnews-microsoft-launches-twitter-contest-for-it-pros/feed/ http://www.fuelindustries.com/mediaroom/2009-11-25/dmnews-microsoft-launches-twitter-contest-for-it-pros/ http://feeds.fuelindustries.com/~r/fuel-mediaroom/~3/nsS9E2dwro8/ http://www.fuelindustries.com/mediaroom/2009-11-25/adweek-brand-sweepstakes-get-twitterized/#comments Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:50:04 +0000 Nick Iannitti http://www.fuelindustries.com/mediaroom/?p=98 The run-of-the-mill holiday sweepstakes is getting a social twist with the addition of sharing features brands hope will extend their reach.

Brands like Microsoft, Sephora, Nascar and Comcast have kicked off Twitter sweepstakes promotions this month, in the hopes of luring customers into chatting up their brands on the hot social network.

Microsoft this week is promoting the launch of its new line Windows Server 2008 R2 with a competition for users to Tweet haikus about them. The R2Haiku takes submissions via Tweets entered on the contest Web site that are then broadcast to a submitter’s network.

Full Story : AdWeek | Brand Sweepstakes get Twitterized

Each episode starts with a character’s Verizon mobile device that gives viewers clues and insight into the character. The series is co-produced by Electric Farm Entertainment and MTV, and Fuel Industries is behind the faux Valemont University interactive Web site.

“The strategy developed by Electric Farm and MTV for the series – and its marketing – stems from a radical shift in the way consumers want to enjoy entertainment,” said Sean MacPhedran, director of creative strategy at Fuel Industries, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. “It’s not enough to create a series, set up a Web site and run some trailers on television – people want to experience and interact with entertainment via their mobile device.”

Full Article | Mobile Marketer

Full Article: Inside Social Games

This is what awaits you if you visit the companion website for the upcoming MTV Networks’ web series, Valemont, which premieres tomorrow for a 12-episode run on MTV before heading to an online-only release of the remaining 23 episodes. I had a chance to speak with co-creator Brent Friedman of Electric Farm about this unique transmedia experience that blends product placement, ARG elements, and web content into an exciting murder mystery plotline that may or may not have a supernatural twist.

Full Article on Tubefilter

The thing is, branded entertainment is nothing new. Over 50 years ago, those crafty soap companies figured out that to get in front of women to peddle their household products, they’d need to wrap their advertising around some meaningful content. And so was born the soap opera.

But while the concept isn’t new, the delivery method is. Unlike the push method of traditional tube TV, blanketing messages across a broad audience, technology has enabled us to deliver compelling, resonant experiences in an interactive format. Through the one-to-one properties of the web, we can reach users directly and craft relevant messaging that builds relationships and drives brand loyalty. New media brings us endless possibilities for taking branded entertainment to the next level, and harnessing the tools to turn a static ad into a dynamic experience.

To help crystallize this concept, we reached out to three pioneers who are helping to shape branded experiences that are as entertaining as they are effective. The four of us will give you our definitions of the various forms of branded entertainment in a roundtable discussion, along with our visions for the future of the space.

Roundtable Participants:

Justine Bateman – Partner, FM78.tv
Tim Jones – COO, Animax Entertainment
Gennefer Snowfield – CEO, Space Truffles Entertainment
Warren Tomlin – President, Fuel Industries

(Full Article: Branded Entertianment Demystified)

U.S. toy manufacturer Jakks Pacific is the first to enter the virtual world, with its Girl Gourmet brand. Players will be invited to enter a Girl Gourmet store, which includes a cupcake shop, cake bakery, sweets candy stand, and a game that allows users to design their own cakes online.“With the success of the Jakks Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker, we wanted to give kids a new way to interact with our brand,” said Gerhard Runken, director of marketing for Jakks Pacific, in a release. “The virtual environment that Fuel built for Spark City truly captures the spirit and fun of Girl Gourmet, and gives kids and parents an introduction and play experience with the brand before even stepping foot into a store.”

(Full Article:  Brand integration welcome in Spark City)

Currently running in an open beta version, Spark City was designed to provide a 360 experience for advertisers as well. Fuel recently signed a deal with U.S.-based toy company Jakks Pacific for an in-world store and branded game promoting its Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker. “It lets them build a richer experience,” explains Mike Burns, CEO of Fuel Industries. “Kids and parents can go and interact with the toy before they ever go into a store.”

(Full Article : RPGs look for brands to play with)