For producers on a quest  for new ways to fund their projects, brand integration may be the answer.  

Rolfe Auerbach, CEO of Brand In Entertainment,  demonstrates how to create new revenue streams by building brand messages organically into your storyline or show structure. Using examples of national and international brands that have been seamlessly incorporated into some of the biggest movies, television shows, webisodes, concerts and music videos in the world, he’ll show you how to expand your budget with funds that do not have to be paid back.

Rolfe Auerbach, CEO of Brand In Entertainment, is a veteran entertainment and advertising executive with seven Telly Awards, five Vision Awards and an Emmy nomination to his credit. Since its inception in 2000, Brand In Entertainment has integrated products and brands directly into the storylines of numerous entertainments. As President and CEO of Brand in Entertainment’s predecessor, HP Media, Rolfe created and operated the Product Integration Organization for Fox Television Studios, incorporating products into productions at Fox, MGM, Lions Gate and Paramount. He also created product integration for such music labels as Atlantic, Lava, Elektra, RCA, Arista, Universal, Jive and Sony.

Event: Monday Sep 27, 2010

Check out the images below to see how everything went on set with the integrations for GEICO, Dual Saw, and Tire Rack into “25 Hill”:

Guess what’s coming to a movie,  TV show and your cell phone: infomercials!

BJ Global Direct, an Irvine company built by 35-year direct response veteran BJ Fazeli, is finding all sorts of new media ways to get exposure for its products.

The company dreams up, manufactures and sells several dozen beauty and home fitness products under the brand name Kymaro. (The name is a combination of Fazeli’s daughters Kyana, Mahadice and Romy).

The company’s biggest seller for the past couple of years is the Kymaro Body Shaper. The newest product is the Rhythm Rocker that Lacey Schwimmer of Dancing with the Stars is promoting. It launches July 26.

BJ Global also produces the infomercials used to sell these products. But increasingly the company isn’t limiting the showing of those long-form commercials to television.

“We started on television,” Fazeli says. In today’s world we have a second screen with the Internet. And the next step is a third screen we’re looking at, cell phones.”

The company’s selling website, UbuyEZ, has links to its commercials on YouTube. It also has Facebook and Twitter accounts and a blog.

“We’re breaking onto the silver screen with product placement in a movie this fall,” Fazeli says. He won’t disclose the name of the movie but says that in one scene, an actor will be watching an infomercial for the Body Shaper and the toll-free ordering number will be visible.

“We don’t expect people in the theater to write down the phone number but when the movie goes to DVD, people can pause it and write down the number,” he says.

BJ Global is also doing product integration with a reality TV show this fall. Again, Fazeli says he can’t yet give the name of the show but the theme will be ultimate fighting for women and the Kymaro Rhythm Rocker will be one of the pieces of equipment used to get into fighting shape.

“We’re marketers,” Fazeli explains. “You just keep your ear to the ground and keep moving with technology.”

Fazeli has been involved with infomercials since the early days when he set fire to the hood of a car to show how well a certain car polish protected the finish.

About five years ago BJ Global Direct decided to concentrate on products that make people look good, feel good and are priced under $50. It has about three dozen active products including clip-on hair extensions, backless bras, sunless tanning products, tummy control jeans, facial hair removers and an exercise devise that fits in the doorway.

“As Seen on TV products are blossoming because we are spending so much money to promote them,” Fazeli says.

And with big dollar investments, Fazeli is not about to ignore any medium that will reach potential customers who want to look  better and have $50 in their pockets.

 Wall Street Journal PAGE ONE. APRIL 28, 2010.

Sponsors Dropped Out, Attendance Fell; Producer Corbin Bernsen Plays the Hero

By TIMOTHY AEPPEL

AKRON, Ohio—The All-American Soapbox Derby has fallen on hard times.

In November, the organizer of the race, in which kids ride cars they build down a hill, was sued by its hometown bank, FirstMerit Corp. The bank was demanding repayment of two loans totaling $623,000. The derby couldn’t pay.

That led to a bailout: The city of Akron guaranteed the debt of the nonprofit derby group. And the bank restructured the loan on favorable terms.

The uproar caught the eye of Corbin Bernsen, the actor best known for his portrayal of sleazy lawyer Arnie Becker in the 1980s TV series “LA Law.” Now a director and producer with his own production company, Mr. Bernsen was inspired to write a script about a young boy who saves the derby after a bank calls its loan. The movie is now being filmed here in this former tire-making capital; part of the profits will go to the race organization.

The derby’s problems have much to do with how the world has changed and how the 75-year-old race hasn’t.

The competition began in Dayton, Ohio, during the Depression, when children started racing homemade cars. The first “All-American Race” was held there in 1934. It moved to Akron a year later. Derby Downs, the group’s track, was built by the Works Progress Administration.

It’s still a “gravity race,” meaning no engines. The cars just roll down a hill. For safety, the course is designed so the cars don’t go faster than about 35 mph. Since speed is largely determined by how far the cars roll, the track was shortened in 1971, from 1,175 feet to 953.75 feet. A sign at the starting line notes that fact. The fastest time ever logged on the hill was 27.10 seconds in 1974.

In one sense, the race has grown. Competitions in the 1960s typically had about 100 contestants; last year, there were 603 boys and girls—in three separate divisions, including a “masters” division open to racers up to 17 years old (and weighing up to 160 pounds.) Sanctioned local races are now held in 150 other cities and about half a dozen countries.

But kids today are more likely to play video games than to tinker in the garage with power tools. And audiences have other distractions. The annual race, held in July, once drew crowds of more than 50,000; last year it attracted only 15,000 people paying $5 at the gate.

The erosion of corporate support, however, has been crippling. In the heyday of the derby, in the 1960s, Chevrolet sponsored and promoted the race. Over the years, big corporate backers brought celebrities, including Ronald Reagan, Rock Hudson, Evel Knievel, and O.J. Simpson. The late actor Jimmy Stewart attended six times.

The derby lost its last major sponsor, Levi Strauss Co., in September 2007, as the recession was hit and companies of all types were slashing promotional spending. Levi Strauss says that was no reflection on the derby, just “changing budgets.” That left the derby reliant on the income it gets from donations, selling the $500 kits used to build cars and from licensing fees it charges other cities that have races.

The lack of a major sponsor willing to pay $250,000 a year for the privilege, forced the derby deeper into debt. Even after slashing spending, it has an annual budget of about $1.1 million.

“Corporations are looking for return on investment,” says Roger Rydell, a public-relations executive at Akron’s Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., a newcomer to the derby board who heads a new marketing committee. “It could be that the metrics associated with that return have become a little more mercenary than in the past.”

The race isn’t in the clear yet. The city, as part of its bailout, pressed the group to replace most of its board with local business leaders who could help it modernize. And it still has to pay the debt. “We really need one large title sponsor—or five at $50,000,” says Jim Huntsman, the derby’s chief executive. The group is toying with new ideas, including a possible tie-in with the Boy Scouts.

The derby’s rich history and the prospect of a great family-oriented tradition falling by the wayside attracted Mr. Bernsen. “We could do this very Disney-esque,” he says, “but we’re doing it kind of dark.”

The movie, “25 Hill,” is about a young boy named Trey Caldwell whose father, a reservist, is killed in Afghanistan after the two have begun building a derby car. The script is full of real-life dilemmas: The boy gets the derby car for Christmas, but he had wanted a laptop. He eventually becomes obsessed with winning the big race and upholding its traditions. In the movie, Mr. Bernsen plays a fireman and past champion soapbox derby racer who steps in to help the boy build the car.

Then there’s the bank. In the script, young Trey goes to Akron to confront the banker who has called the loan. The banker turns out to be a grandfatherly fellow who explains to the boy that the problem is a lack of sponsors.

For the record, FirstMerit declined to speak about the real-life issue. In a statement, the bank’s chief executive, Paul Greig, said the bank was a “proud annual contributor to the derby for decades,” and noted that the bank contributed $50,000 to the current fund-raising effort being led by the local chamber of commerce on behalf of the derby.

Meanwhile, the effort to make the movie may also be helping to solve the current sponsorship problem: Mr. Bernsen has signed a deal with Geico, the auto insurance giant, to play the role of the sponsor that comes to the rescue in the film. And Geico has agreed to be a sponsor in real life. Says Ted Ward, Geico’s marketing vice president: “Who doesn’t like an all-American Soap Box Derby?”

Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page A1

Pioneering Auction Presents Unprecedented Marketing and Brand Integration Opportunities at Attractive Auction Rates on January 20, 2010 at Christie’s New York City

    LOS ANGELES, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ — Brand in Entertainment (BiE), a
premier integration firm specializing in partnering with companies and
advertisers across numerous mediums to join brands and properties, has
announced their first Inaugural Integration Auction, Scatter Categories
2010 to be held on January 20th at Christie’s in New York City. The
invitation only auction produced by Empire Entertainment, Inc. and
Honeysweet Productions, will invite professional representatives and
advertising agencies to bid on exclusive packages to feature their services
and products among a variety of media platforms. An online auction preview
catalog will be available on BiE’s Web site by the end of November.

    Leveraging relationships with major advertising firms in the U.S. and
abroad, as well as with major studios, record companies and independent
production companies, BiE’s Inaugural Integration Auction 2010 will auction
off choice brand incorporation opportunities in a multitude of platforms,
including network television, online/Webisodes, graphic novels, films,
plays and more.

    “With the ever-growing list of media options, the advertising world has
been seeking a way to easily integrate their brands across today’s myriad
of content offerings while keeping an eye on maximizing value,” said Rolfe
Auerbach, Chief Executive Officer of BiE. “Our Inaugural Integration
Auction 2010 is the innovative complement to this desire by offering
content properties and brands the unique opportunity to partner with one
another through a highly productive, seamless event.”

    The live auction will feature the three most exciting auction category
opportunities led by famed auctioneer and BiE Chief Operating Officer Tere
Morris, while the silent auction will utilize IML technology. IML will
allow the auction attendees to place instant bids on items using keypad
devices. Viewable in real time on large-screen TVs, the keypads enable
participants to keep track of the bidding activity.

    Following the red carpet at 6:00 p.m. EST, recently appointed BiE
Chairman Jim Rose will be on hand to welcome auction attendees and present
a keynote address. Rose, a prominent figure in the advertising world, is
the current Chairman and CEO of Mosaic Sales Solutions and has previously
lent his expertise as CEO of MPG, the media buying arm of the leading
international advertising and communications group Havas.

    Inaugural Integration Auction 2010 Event Details – January 20, 2010

    Red Carpet/Cocktail Hour              6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
    Welcome by Jim Rose                   7:00 p.m.
    Live Auction                          7:15 p.m.
    Silent Auction featuring IML          Ongoing – tables close at 8:30 p.m.
    Technology
    For 2010, BiE currently has 33 films and 25 television projects
scheduled and is working on such films as “Henry’s Crime” starring Keanu
Reeves and James Caan, “Unamerican” starring Jessica Biel and John
Leguizamo, and has just finished work on “Meeting Spencer” with Jeffrey
Tambor.

    Brand in Entertainment is consistently ahead of the curve searching out
new opportunities for its clients and pairing these opportunities with
emerging technologies in order to create unique branding advantages. BiE
recognizes brand objectives and works with filmmakers to ensure that the
integration is a part of the mythology of their storyline. For more
information on Brand in Entertainment, please visit
http://brand-inentertainment.com.

    About Brand in Entertainment

    BiE is the premier Brand Integration firm with more than 35 years of
advertising experience. Based in Los Angeles, California, they work
directly with national and international brands to organically marry them
with entertainment properties. BiE is the matchmaker of Hollywood and
Madison Avenue, unifying entertainment properties and brands. Respectively,
BiE is sensitive to the creative integrity of the filmmaker/content
producer and seeks to create brand integrations best suited for the
storyline.

New York, NY (PRWEB) November 17, 2009 — PRWEB) November 17, 2009 — Rolfe Auerbach, President and CEO of Brand in Entertainment (BiE) announced today that the world’s major product brands and their advertising agencies will be invited to New York City along with entertainment media producers for a first ever ‘Product Integration Auction.’ During the announcement, it was revealed that an innovative new auction format will be utilized and the COO of BiE, Tere Morris, will be the featured auctioneer. Ms. Morris stated that her professional career as a noted auctioneer led her to the idea that she feels is “a remarkable new concept in brand integration opportunity.” Morris added that BiE will provide the first ever opportunity for leading producers to offer premier ‘product integration time’ directly to the appropriate brands and their advertising agencies via a live auction.

Tere Morris

According to Ms. Morris, BiE’s goal is to offer agencies and brand managers the opportunity to successfully integrate their brand objectives into a project’s story line while maintaining the integrity of the content. This opportunity is a win-win according to Morris, “producers get additional funding, and brands get additional exposure.” She added that the innovative concept of a product integration auction creates efficiencies and opportunities for producers and advertising agencies by saving them time and ensuring the best return on investment.

The Inaugural Integration Auction, to be held at Christie’s ‘Woods Room’ in New York City, will be a red carpet event on the evening of January 20, 2009. BiE is working diligently to offer the absolute best content available for bidding consideration. BiE’s auction preview catalog will be available on-line by end of November 2009, and continuously updated with new content, closing one week prior to the event on January 13, 2010. Tere Morris is a licensed Auctioneer in the City of New York, license number 1333460.

 Brands and their Agencies will attend the red carpet event by invitation and prequalification only – and will have the opportunity to bid on brand category packages that will achieve their brand objectives, integrated across multi media platforms.  In today’s world of Tivo, and online viewer ship, it’s time for brands to consider new ways to integrate their brand objectives directly aimed at their target demographics. In preparing these brand category packages, BiE has worked diligently to offer the advertising clients the absolute best content available in film, television, webisodes, live events, video games, Broadway, graphic novels, and music videos – including your project(s).

Each registered guest will be provided with the latest bidding technology, an IML, which is an electronic, hand held device bidding device, which will simply and easily allow them to bid on the desired brand category package, at our silent, “genre” theme bidding stations throughout Christie’s “The Woods Room”.  Plasma screen televisions will be placed strategically, allowing everyone to view – including the press which will be attending the event – the bidding in real time. BiE will then auction off the three HOTTEST Brand Scatter category packages during the LIVE portion of the event.  We will invite the advertising clients RAISE their bidding card to insure they are the winning bidder on these spectacular brand integration opportunities, including your project(s)

 One way to be certain of your project receiving the most careful consideration by the advertisers attending the Inaugural Integration Auction, Scatter Categories, 2010 will be to supply your top talent to be present on the red carpet – so that your project will stand out in the bidding process.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) September 10, 2009 — Brand-In Entertainment, a premier brand integration firm based in Los Angeles, formally announced the involvement of Nespresso® as a primary sponsor of the highly anticipated new series, Hollywood on the Rocks. Hollywood on the Rocks will be a contemporary show featured on Ovation TV, the only National cable channel devoted to art and contemporary culture. Mini Movie Channel is the show’s producer. The series will be a uniquely formatted program featuring Chris Gore hosting celebrity discussions and reviews of current and notable short film projects. Elena Muravina, CEO of Mini Movie Channel, commented, “The highly personal interviews and short films presented in the series are naturally complimented by the Nespresso specialty products that will actually be utilized in the series.

“Nestlé Nespresso is an operating unit of the Nestlé Group, the world’s leading food, beverage, nutrition and wellness company. Shanin Molinaro, Marketing Director, Nespresso North America stated, “Sharing Ovation TV’s passion for arts and culture, Nespresso is pleased to be a part of the network’s original new series, Hollywood on the Rocks.” Rolfe Auerbach, CEO of Brand in Entertainment added, “Brand-in Entertainment is proud to bridge the partnership of Ovation TV and Nespresso, two brands that clearly reach affluent and discerning demographics. The collaboration between Nespresso and Ovation is a completely new business model using brand integration.” In response to the announcement, Kris Slava from Ovation TV commented, “We couldn’t be more pleased to have Nespresso as a partner in our new series, Hollywood on the Rocks. Ovation’s audience is always highly engaged, and this is just the sort of entertaining, informative look at contemporary culture that they respond to.”

For More Information, Please Visit:

Brand-In Entertainment                              
www.brand-inentertainment.com

Nespresso
www.nespresso.com

OvationTV   
www.ovationtv.com

Rolfe Auerbach, CEO of Brand-in Entertainment

© Copyright, PR Web. All Rights Reserved

AFM, The Premiere Marketplace for Independent Film and Entertainment Production and Distribution, will be held November 4-11, 2009 in Santa Monica, California.

Santa Monica, CA August 19, 2009 — Founded in 1981, the American Film Market (AFM) has become the premiere global marketplace where Hollywood’s decision-makers and trendsetters come together. Unlike a film festival, the AFM is a marketplace where production and distribution deals are closed. In just eight days, more than $800 million in deals will be negotiated, on both completed films and those in the initial stages of production; making AFM the largest film and distribution market event in the world.

With the announcement of Brand-in Entertainment (BiE) as the official brand integration company of the 2009 AFM, AFM Managing Director Jonathan Wolf stated, “It’s a great benefit to independent film makers to have Brand-in Entertainment as the official brand integration company of AFM 2009. They are a leading resource for secondary funding of entertainment projects.”

BiE President, Rolfe Auerbach, added, “For the last two years Brand-in Entertainment has enjoyed participating as a sponsor of the AFM. We look forward to the 2009 market in our expanded role as the official brand integration company of 2009 AFM. And, we look forward to the opportunity to meet with more producers and add their projects to our already impressive list of quality films.”

It’s a great benefit to independent film makers to have Brand-in Entertainment as the official brand integration company of AFM 2009. They are a leading resource for secondary funding of entertainment projects.For the last two years Brand-in Entertainment has enjoyed participating as a sponsor of the AFM. We look forward to the 2009 market in our expanded role as the official brand integration company of 2009 AFM. And, we look forward to the opportunity to meet with more producers and add their projects to our already impressive list of quality films.With the reality of Digital Video Recorders and today’s multi-tasking consumer, I believe effective brand integration is key for the successful sponsorship and funding of entertainment projects. According to Mr. Auerbach, BiE will be holding meetings on new films throughout the AFM. BiE creates product-integration in projects and assists them through secondary funding in a variety of entertainment media including Theatrical Movies, TV Movies, TV Series (both scripted and unscripted), music videos, music tours, Broadway, web-isodes, books, graphic novels, Internet and mobile phones.

Mr. Auerbach added, “With the reality of Digital Video Recorders and today’s multi-tasking consumer, I believe effective brand integration is key for the successful sponsorship and funding of entertainment projects.”

Please contact Karon Crosby at               818.261.0335   for more information. www.kcprm.com.