A new series of film shorts produced by Media.Monks ensures you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand the daily activities of the Frontier Development Lab. The lab (a partnership between NASA and the European Space Agency and hosted by the SETI Institute) must make sense of enormous amounts of data each day to tackle some of earth’s greatest challenges at greater speed and efficiency than ever before.

Backed by decades of research, scientists can predict solar flares, identify probable flood zones and search for natural resources on the moon. Powered by technology from Google Cloud and Intel, they can achieve even more, faster. The shorts offer an over-the-shoulder (and digestible) look at how FDL research affects our everyday lives, turning invisible technology that functions behind-the-scenes into tangible outcomes.

Through the films, viewers gain clarity on the invisible technology that supports FDL’s efforts—processes that formerly had to be carried out manually by scientists. With computing power from Google Cloud—whose CPU cores are provided by Intel—teams now carry out intense calculations of data faster than before.

While these technologies working in concert with one another could be perceived as fairly abstract, their effects are tangible: crunching the numbers in time makes all the difference between pre-emptively mitigating the effects of a natural disaster versus succumbing to catastrophe. “The series is a tribute to teamwork, and the optimistic message of the films show how people can come together to achieve great things, even solve out-of-this-world challenges,” says Pep Lupo, Executive Producer at Media.Monks and who leads on our work with Google.

Build Content that Inspires

Whether they aim to represent their purpose and role in society or merely want to connect more authentically with consumers, it can be tough for brands to stand out in the ways they stand up for what they believe in. But brands can cut through the noise and tear at the heartstrings through a more thoughtful approach to original content. Either entertaining, informative or a mix of both, this content should stand on its own legs—even if you were to remove the brand from it completely—with the same production value consumers would expect from content they actively seek out.

Through imagery and human-centered narration, the series, “NASA FDL – Exploring New Frontiers” aims to inspire audiences and offer a glimpse at a better future enabled by NASA, Google Cloud and Intel technologies. “This is an ode to humanity’s future, and the series lets audiences learn about the real challenges these scientists face.” says Carolina Brandao, Sr. Film Producer at Media.Monks.

Brandao’s words drive home an important distinction between premium original content and traditional messaging from brands. Original content is most effective when focusing on the brand and its impact on society. In other words, it must be relatable and entertaining—so much so that consumers would actively seek it out rather than merely have it served to them.

Bring Life to Stories Through Empowerment

Original content must focus on the human element to be impactful and authentic. Knowing this, the films center on the people who interact with these technologies each day, aiming to capture the spirit of the scientists who are solving big challenges through data and tech.

We began by conducting off-camera interviews to inform the storytelling approach. In the finished films, the scientists deliver monologues that instill beauty in their work. Focusing on day-to-day activities and the role that tech plays in solving critical challenges not only helps viewers understand the results of FDL’s work, but also inspires cooperation between people and brands to achieve great things.

With the rise of so many new visual channels, original content is the next frontier in storytelling. But to succeed in delivering it, brands must first begin with a clear point of view and message. By recognizing and understanding what resonates with their audiences, brands can tell those stories authentically, bringing a human element to the story that builds emotional impact and relevance—even telling a story that speaks to the far reaches of the solar system.

Our team is growing–today we’re welcoming Dare.Win, an entertainment agency based in Paris and Berlin, into the hallowed halls of our monastery. Founded by Wale Gbadamosi-Oyekanmi, Dare.Win is dedicated to building culture through engaging creative and entertainment content.

We’re excited to connect with Dare.Win’s diverse team and lean on their support in bringing a new, flexible model to brands in France—an important market—and offering stronger support to our shared clients there. With Dare.Win’s strong foundation of clients in entertainment and technology, we look forward to working together to find new ways to innovate and drive impact across the customer decision journey.

A Team You Can Bet On

Like MediaMonks, Dare.Win’s team is focused on creating next-generation experiences that build lasting effect. This is reflected in its team culture as well as in its work: while we close deals in Fortnite, Dare.Win has interviewed candidates on the platform, highlighting just how intertwined digital platforms have become in the ways we connect, play and collaborate with one another.

When it comes to consumer-facing experiences, Dare.Win is adept at taking a fit-for-purpose approach that builds on platform features and user behaviors to deliver rich, resonant experiences. Their Meet Vermeer campaign, which lived in the Google Arts & Culture’s Instagram stories, is a great example of this: it invited users to take a screenshot of drawings based on the Dutch master’s work, which they could then color in, remix and share to their delight. The campaign shows how creativity and technology intersect to infuse new relevance for consumers.

Giving People What They Want

The work mentioned above also showcases how important it is today to build relevant content that audiences actually want to consume and take part in. Dare.Win nourishes culture, not adblockers—and we ourselves have railed against the annoying, intrusive content that brings personalized panic to consumers in the form of banner ads that seemingly follow you everywhere.

Instead, we’ll advocate for original storytelling and experiences that help users and stand on their own legs. “The way we think about creating here is simple: we are the generation that uses an ad-blocker, the generation that can create the same stories we want to see, like, comment and share,” says Fabienne Fiorucci, Creative Director at Dare.Win. “We all have the same passion for ideas: the ones that will evoke emotion through cool, insightful and innovative content—the ones that people will actively seek out and enjoy.”

With an extensive client base of entertainment brands and digital platform partnerships, Dare.Win knows what resonates with audiences. “Backed by ambitious talent, a strong culture and diverse team, and coupled with its pursuit to create impactful, entertaining work that audiences actually look forward to, it’s a great fit,” says MediaMonks CEO Victor Knapp. Through our recent signing with talent agency CAA and with our influencer activation team IMA, Dare.Win’s team adds to our ability to heighten the cultural relevance of creative digital experiences for brands across platforms and borders.

Sustaining Culture and Redefining Relevance

Throughout 2020, brands have been forced to confront preconceived notions that drove their marketing and production strategies throughout the decade before. A reliance on the traditional big idea resulted in gaps in the consumer journey, making it tough for many brands to adapt to the digital-first environment we find ourselves in today.

“The greatest trick traditional agencies have played on marketers is hiding behind the principle of the big idea,” says MediaMonks founder Wesley ter Haar, arguing that most traditional work doesn’t make the big impact needed to be called a “big idea.” Big ideas should drive user behavior and influence culture in significant ways, and brands can achieve this by populating consumer journeys with bespoke experiences.

“Dare.Win has a pulse that beats in tune with society’s. This resonates throughout our campaigns which are rooted in culture, values, and references shared by a whole generation,” says Gbadamosi-Oyekanmi. “Culture is the missing link between users, behavior and brands. That can actually help superpose the performance of the content you produce by making it interesting and relevant to the conversation that users have in mind.”

Brands are looking for ways to break out of the traditional mold and find innovative ways to bring value to consumers. Together, Dare.Win and MediaMonks are primed to help fast-moving digital brands deliver at speed and scale by redefining emotional resonance for a new age by placing special focus on entertaining original content that today’s audiences demand.

Spilling across fan wikis, podcasts and tie-ins, today’s stories are bigger than the sum of their parts. While this isn’t exactly new; the Star Wars franchise has famously spanned not only movies, but also games, comics, novels and several TV series. But the vast array of digital channels and a hunger for content has ushered in a new era of transmedia storytelling.

Transmedia works well as a means of both getting viewers into the world or keeping them inside it. This was the strategy behind “Stories to Go to Bed,” a salacious and seductive podcast that expands the world of Netflix’s new thriller series, Dark Desire. The podcast was produced by both Circus, which merged with MediaMonks early this year, and podcast production company Archadia Media.

By redefining the “bedtime story” for an adult audience, Netflix wanted to not only make the show’s promise clear to new viewers, but also make people feel connected to the show’s world through a little bit of extra content. “The brief was: how can we expand the experience of watching this show, not only in the streets but in how people consume everyday content?” explains Yaneth Velázquez, Global Head of Client at Circus, noting that the standard approach of out-of-home activations had to take a backseat due to the pandemic.

“It was very interesting to extend the show’s universe,” says Sofía López, Sr. Creative at Circus. “We were creating fiction upon a fictional story. For Netflix fans who always want more from their favorite show, this was like a gift for them.” The team aimed to seduce fans with a provocative podcast that highlights the show’s trademark erotic intrigue, narrated by some of its ensemble cast, including Maite Perroni, María Fernanda Yepes and Alejandro Speitzer (Erik Hayser also makes an appearance in Fernanda’s episode).

Each is well-known for their previous roles in telenovelas—and what could be more enticing than listening to a favorite actor or actress whisper in your ear? Not much apparently, because the modern take on the radio play—best enjoyed with headphones, preferably with candles lit—has proved incredibly popular with audiences. The series quickly rose to the number one spot on Spotify’s Top TV & Film Podcasts chart for Mexico.

Since then, the podcast has been fully downloaded over 70,000 times and continues to be relevant almost four weeks after its release with around 300 people listening to it daily; its impact was concentrated mostly in Mexico, but LATAM countries like Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Brazil enjoyed the podcast as well. It also deserved a shout-out from “Escandala,” the largest LGBT+ news platform in LATAM.

Take an Insight-Driven Approach to Transmedia

When it comes to expanding a narrative, there are so many channels available: mobile games, web platforms, side series and more. How is a brand to choose—and why did Netflix ultimately decide on a podcast for Dark Desire?

After Netflix identified its target audience, its media agency brought together a list of insights on what resonates with them. “They pointed out that the audience loved listening to radio and podcasts during the morning and at night, once their children were at school or asleep,” says Israel Rojas, Content Lead for Title Marketing at Circus. “That was the moment they had for themselves, so we decided to let the idea live in that space.”

The project’s success shows the benefit of having a media and creative team work so closely together. “Instead of us coming to the media agency with ideas, we request their insights first, and then we start thinking with those things in mind,” says Velázquez. “In this case, this is where the audience is consuming the most content. We needed to appeal to what they enjoy, even if it’s not in the place you would first expect.”

The format also allowed for added learnings and data. “The podcast got more than 60,000 downloads, so it’s interesting to consider how many are downloading to listen to it later when they’re alone,” says Velázquez. “These consumption behaviors are new, if audio hasn’t played a role in your strategy before.” Data from Spotify also provides insight on the audience’s musical taste, which can further enhance creative collaboration or targeting.

Enable Collaboration Between Agencies and Showrunners

The podcast is valuable for offering fans a space to linger intimately within the world of the show—which means the show’s characters must be portrayed authentically. In creating a series of exclusive storylines, the Circus team worked on the podcast’s script, taking inspiration from the show’s dark and erotic themes. “We had the idea that everyone has a dark desire and something to hide,” says Rojas. “We created three stories that people won’t see in the show to expand the narrative—three moments to give the fandom something extra.”

The idea was discussed with the showrunner of the series, who trusted in the project and gave some interesting thought starters for the story. The final scripts were approved and greenlit by the Netflix Content team, but the Circus team was still anxious about what the actors would think: “There was a chance they would read the script and say ‘no’ because they would have to awkwardly moan and recreate sexual scenes, but they read it and loved it,” says Rojas.

“It was a challenge to capture the same eroticism of the show without using footage,” says Elizabeth Beltrán, Creative at Circus. “We let the user’s imagination complete the journey.” But for Rojas, this experience became hilarious: “There’s nothing like spending an hour recording an actor making moaning noises,” he says with a laugh.

Differentiate in the Medium to Heighten Immersion

With actors spread apart internationally and due to restrictions from the pandemic, the team had to get creative in how it would record each episode: one actress recording her episode from her car and another from a closet. “Ideally, you would record everything in a studio using the tech there, but we got scrappy and made it work with a premium sound quality.”

One way they boosted the listening experience was through binaural recording, which uses two microphones rather than one to create 3D stereo sound (if you’ve ever watched an ASMR video wearing headphones, you’ll know what it sounds like). This recording method resulted in a fully immersive listening experience—and gives listeners another reason to pick up their headphones besides privacy. “We invite people to listen with headphones while they’re listening to this 360-degree experience,” says Velázquez. “You might think that audio-only is an ancient way to tell a story, but we try to bring the full experience out of it.”

As entertainment franchises continue to extend beyond a single channel or stream, brands and their partners can deliver irresistible, seductive content driven by consumer audiences and insights. This way, brands are primed to engage better with audiences across channels in new and more immersive ways—and satiate their audience’s craving for more, no matter how forbidden.