Today we are exccited to announce big things for our horror project CHOPPER...

...we have officially aligned with the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival to create innovative cross-promotions for the webseries and related transmedia content. We also used the opportunity to officially unveil our Posters and announce a related contest for fans to submit poster taglines via social media.

Here's the link to the official press release:

http://prn.to/kJrMzc

And further below are the OFFICIAL RULES for the Poster Tagline Contest:

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We are proud to unveil the new teaser trailer for 'Chopper' starring Tyler Mane! Please watch, like and comment!

And check out some of the great coverage we are receiving:

http://news.tubefilter.tv/2011/02/18/chopper-goes-from-comic-con-indie-to-sponsored-web-series/

http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/42664/tyler-mane-stars-new-webseries-chopper

More fun stuff to come!

Today we are excited with the announcement [http://bit.ly/cinhQ6] of our most ambitious branded entertainment initiative to date. Working in concert with awesome clients such as Sullen Clothing and others,  DILEMMA has developed a full blown branded content experience based on the horror comic ‘Chopper.’ 

Essentially a contemporary spin on the classic ’Sleepy Hollow’ mythology Chopper will subject our audience to an immersive, transmedia story world that promises to be fun, interactive and scary as hell. As my team developed the project’s strategy over the past few months, a common question some of our marketing colleagues would express is “Don’t brands shy away from dark content?” And my simple response is, “Depends.”

If your brand is going after an audience that potentially includes middle aged moms or children under the age of 12, then exploring brand integration opportunities with content based on dark subject matter makes absolutely no sense. However, if you are pinpoint targeting primarily 12 to 34 year old males, then action based content in the horror, sci-fi or fantasy genres is the most authentic way to emotionally engage such an audience. One of the most compelling recent examples of successfully embracing horror content to drive awareness and sales conversion is the Doritos’ 2008 branded content campaign ‘Hotel 626’ [http://www.awards.goodbysilverstein.com/2009/hotel626/] -followed by the sequel ‘Asylum 626’ in 2009. Despite being part of the billion dollar Frito-Lay family, the brand marketers behind Doritos boldly entrusted their agency Goodby Silverstein to go for the jugular with horrific imagery and genuine frights to successfully engage their young male demos with a creatively satisfying interactive experience. And their courage paid off...

…results from the ‘Hotel 626’ campaign speak volumes for the potential of authentic, cathartic content:  Over 2.5 million people experienced the interactive site alone and the other integrated elements as a whole drove sales of over 2 million bags of the “resurrected” flavors that were the centerpiece of the campaign. And here’s the kicker…there was not a single mention or visual reference to an actual Dorito chip in the entire experience- pure, unadulterated branded entertainment at its best from our friends at Goodby. But there’s only one problem- most companies don’t have the marketing budget of Frito-Lay. I know the Goodby campaign cost around $750k, give or take, without even factoring in media buy. Ouch.

Fortunately, this is where DILEMMA’s value proposition comes into play. My team has spent years forging a vast network of seasoned talent- most based right here in Hollywood- who possess equal amounts of resourcefulness to match their creativity. Whether plumbing the depths of horror, perfecting comedic timing, or wooing your customer base with romance, our team can formulate and execute a content strategy that best reflects you’re your brand’s values at a fraction of the cost charged by bloated Madison Avenue shops. Does that mean we undervalue our services or cut costs at the expense of quality? Absolutely not. Professional strategy and creative does require a manageable budget. But we are experts at getting every dollar "on the screen" so-to-speak. More importantly, we believe, and can prove, that focusing on crafting an authentic brand story first and foremost can result in positive word-of-mouth that will always offset media buy constraints.  

Ultimately, we are not creating "advertising," in the old sense of the word. We are creating art. Art that has the power to engender consumer patronage and loyalty. And, when it comes to delivering on the potential of a horror entertainment experience such as ‘Chopper,’ we would be doing our clients a disservice by watering down any darkness in execution that the concept deserves. And on that note, I leave you with the immortal words of H.P. Lovecraft: “The question to ask of art… is not whether it is healthy or pleasant, but whether it is genuine and powerful.”

Hi everyone, I'll be migrating a bunch of posts from my old wordpress blog the past few months over to Posterous in the near future. Hang tight and please come back to read or re-read my post-dated entries covering all things cool from the advertising, fashion, music and overall entertainment and pop-culture industries!

Also, given my team has been consumed on prepping the 'Chopper' project announced today, we are a bit behind on updates to our main website. Check back in with us periodically over the next few weeks as we finally implement some overdue refinements on the main DILEMMA site and get some case studies launched alongside more information about our work process overall.

And be sure to simply reach out to us via phone or email if you have some questions for us right now, we'll be happy to walk you through our capabilities in the context of solving your dilemma!

Hey everyone, it is with great joy [and relief] that we can proudly announce our updated site's formal re-launch this month after some challenging technical delays with our new back-end [not to mention cracked ribs and taxes along the way!]

We still have some minor aesthetic and content tweaks in the works [including fresh case studies and a new cut of our home page's teaser reel in the works], but the site now serves as a great place to discover more about the unique talents and capabilities of the team and partners that I am proud to call collaborators and friends. On that note...

...I am also proud to introduce our newest collaborator, Emilia Forstreuter, out of Berlin. Emilia's singular talent as an animator and designer adds unique dimension to our team and evidence of DILEMMA's ongoing tradition of seeking out and working with rising stars in the world of design for the benefit of our clients. Similar to our friends at INKSURGE, Emilia brings a unique fusion of international taste and elegance to any project she undertakes. Need proof, check out her stunning piece "Yonder" which became a certifiable viral sensation on Vimeo this year:

Emilia has completed amazing work for brands including Alfa Romeo and gained further recognition when influential design magazine STASH recently honored her with a showcase on their most recent DVD compilation. DILEMMA sought out Emilia to contribute key design elements to our new site. Please stay tuned for a breakdown of the inspired process behind that specific collaboration in my next post.

For now, myself and my amazing collaborators are excited to tackle any strategically challenging branding opportunities you may present us in 2010 and beyond. Contact us today about your dilemma in order to experience creative, innovative solutions that will entertain, engage and motivate your audience.

JC, Founder