Luxury automotive brand Genesis is expanding its partnership with Great Big Story by renewing its exclusive yearlong sponsorship of the Origins channel and the creation of a fellowship program dedicated to supporting and showcasing emerging film-makers.
This unique partnership began its quest back in 2016 with Genesis serving as the launch partner of Great Big Story’s Origins channel of micro-documentary films, which explore the unexpected history of things from design, to food, to pop culture. Since then, the Genesis brand has been associated with over 50 Origins videos from Great Big Story delving into topics from Comic Sans: The Man Behind The World’s Most Contentious Font to Brewing Korea’s Favorite Drink from a 300-Year-Old Recipe as well as branded content about Genesis’s own origin story and how it draws inspiration from Korea’s legacy and heritage.
The expanded partnership created by CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) sees the Genesis brand integrated into Origins over the next 12 months, featuring as sponsor on all Origins editorial films. Two branded content videos produced by CNNIC’s global brand studio Create will delve into Genesis and what it stands for. All content will run across Great Big Story’s platforms and social accounts reaching over 10 million fans around the world and targeted to Genesis’s key audiences.
In addition, the partnership sees the creation of the Genesis Student Film Fellowship – a programme offering two college students $20,000 grants to support the production of their very own micro documentaries, which will premiere before public audiences at select international film festivals Fall 2018. The fellows selected from the University of Texas Austin and the Korean National University of Arts will grow their filmmaking skills and experience through professional mentoring and project oversight from dedicated Great Big Story producers.
“Genesis is a long-standing partner of CNN’s, and we are committed to build on this robust partnership to align the DNA of the luxury brand with the immersive storytelling from Great Big Story. Building on the success of Origins, our collaboration this time is powered by in-depth audience insight and tailor-made to deliver tangible benefits through a smart combination of branded content across Great Big Story platforms along with the exciting addition of the Genesis Student Film Fellowship” said Sunita Rajan, Senior Vice President, Advertising Sales, Asia Pacific, CNN International Commercial.
“In the first year of partnership with Great Big Story, Genesis unfolded stories of diverse cultures and values,” said Manfred Fitzgerald, Head of Genesis Brand. “In our second year of this partnership, we are very excited to endorse a student fellowship program. As a brand that values culture and lifestyle, we are hoping that Genesis and aspiring filmmakers can open new doors to discovering remarkable stories.”
The success and popularity of the Origins channel is directly attributed to our fans’ desire to see the world from a different perspective and Great Big Story’s uncanny ability to satisfy that desire through cinematic cross-cultural storytelling,” said Uyen Tieu, SVP and General Manager of Great Big Story. “Whether you are a native English speaker watching from Western Europe or a Spanish-speaking South American, you’re likely to identify with an Origins story because of its uniqueness, quality and ability to leave a lasting impression. It’s no surprise we see engagement rates for these stories hovering between 70-80 percent, on average.
The U.S. screening of the Student Film Fellowship projects will take place at the Rollins Theatre during the 25th annual Austin Film Festival (October 25 – November 1), followed by a filmmaker Q&A to discuss the Fellowship projects with attendees. Additionally, a special screening for the fellows will take place in South Korea at the Busan International Film Festival (October 4 – 13).