AMC Networks today announced the launch of “Upfront Connect,” a comprehensive effort to help advertising partners navigate and work seamlessly with the AMC Networks sales organization during this uncertain time. The newly created online sales hub serves as a destination to help brands communicate, as well as a one-stop source for all client resources, including “The Screening Room,” launching today, an invite only extensive digital library of AMCN originals for clients to screen full series, preview new content and explore ad opportunities. AMCN’s new branded content studio, “The Content Room,” is offering all creative and production capabilities free of charge to any brand that comes on board during this time.
“In keeping with our buyers-first approach, we’ve launched ‘Upfront Connect’ to provide comprehensive resources and convenient solutions that address the challenges our clients are facing at this time, including creative and production services at no cost to them,” said Kim Kelleher, president of commercial revenue and partnerships, AMC Networks. “Like everything else, the advertising industry changed virtually overnight, and we are pleased to offer a full suite of resources exclusively for our partners, along with our deep audience knowledge and how and where to engage viewers in a meaningful way.”
AMC Networks launched Upfront Connect, a destination and one-stop client go-to for all needs – Upfront related and beyond. The site hosts: year-long creative solutions, programming calendars, advanced advertising capabilities, and more.
AMC Networks has also launched AMCN’s Content Room, a branded entertainment shop that provides advertising partners with a single point of entry for all of their custom creative campaigns and customizes their messaging to maximum audience engagement across AMCN’s content—on all platforms—with one buy. The Content Room taps into long standing relationships across the company’s five distinct networks and connects partners to the content creators and talent behind key franchises. Creative is custom built for the unique audiences for all platform distribution. The Content Room has launched a suite of offerings aimed to help partners navigate these difficult times. Currently, all creative and production services are offered free of charge to brands. To date, nearly a dozen partners have come on board to work with The Content Room.
Currently, AMCN’s Content Room COVID – response Partner Solutions Include:
Ad Council PSAs: AMCN is partnering with the Ad Council on PSA’s with real time CDC messaging. Brands looking to contribute to a larger cause nationally can convert their media towards this campaign. Creative here. Partners include Facebook, TJX and 3M.
Applauding the Heroes: Each evening when most healthcare workers are changing shifts, New York honors essential workers with cheers and clapping. Brands can join AMCN each night at 7:00 pm to pay our collective homage across all platforms.
Peaceful Postcards: Custom creative built for brands in need of timelier creative in response to industry changes with 24-hour production turn-around.
Super Pods: Long-form premiere pods for longer form brand films with the ability to premiere within original series and prime-time films.
Launching this week on Upfront Connect, is The Screening Room, built exclusively for clients, treating them to full seasons and first looks of all of AMC Networks originals. Within the site they can explore partnership opportunities around each show.
These ad sales initiatives dovetail with the recent launch of AMC Networks’ “We’re With You” initiative, an ongoing, multi-network response to the developing and ongoing crisis to remind people they are not alone and offer some encouragement and a distraction during these anxious times. As part of “We’re With You,” AMC Networks Entertainment Group made hours of popular programming from across its networks – AMC, BBC America, IFC, and SundanceTV – and the SVOD service Sundance Now for free across digital and on demand, along with specially curated programming marathons across linear networks, and more. The networks are also running a variety of interstitials with scenes that have renewed relevance to current circumstances. Last week, AMC also announced the launch of Friday Night In with The Morgans, a weekly half-hour video-chat-based show hosted by Jeffrey Dean Morgan (The Walking Dead) and his wife Hilarie Burton Morgan (One Tree Hill) from their farm in upstate New York. Additionally, the networks are creating new programming formats in response to the crisis that are have easy on-ramps for advertiser categories that want to reinforce their product during this time.
