Shift2 puts itself into the story

The branded entertainment agency behind Carmilla and V Morgan is Dead’s next project is focused on the subject it knows best.

Branded entertainment agency shift2 is turning the lens on itself for its next project. It’s producing a show all about working at a company that creates branded entertainment and is looking for brands to partner with.

Called Branded, the 12-part digital series follows the staff of fictional shop Kapow Media, with a focus on co-workers and best friends Cassandra and Jamie.

There are opportunities for brands to be built into the series, said Kaaren Whitney-Vernon, founder and CEO of shift2, with the money they pay for placement going towards promoting Branded to the brand’s intended audience. For instance, if a brand wanted to focus on YouTube, then the dollars would go there.

Whitney-Vernon said the idea to produce a branded show that so closely mirrors itself was born out of a desire to reach millennials in the marketing industry that tune out when presented with more traditional white papers and research about the benefits of branded entertainment.

“Millennials are now the largest working group, but we are still using old methods to reach the audience,” she said. “So we thought, we are selling the idea of branded entertainment to brands, why aren’t we doing it ourselves?”

Shift2 has previously worked on projects including Carmilla with U by Kotex, which has extended beyond its web series roots to include a future film. Working with sister company Smokebomb, shift2 also partnered with RBC on V Morgan is Dead, which aimed to reach millennials in a new way for the bank.

The goal around Branded is to have brands signed on in the next couple months and have the series go live in September.