Electus Helps Grow Profits for Barry Diller’s IAC

Barry Diller’s Internet company IAC, which includes the multimedia production studio Electus, has jumped 22 percent in revenue, reaching an $18.1 million first-quarter profit. IAC’s “media and other” segment also includes CollegeHumor, a stake in Newsweek Daily Beast and production firm Notional. The company also operates more than 50 Web sites. Along with Electus, it was these companies that helped grow IAC’s revenue 13 percent to $54.3 million.

The $18.1 million profit is especially notable when you compare it with IAC’s year-ago loss of $18.7 million. In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Diller said that he expects the value of a recent extension of a deal with Google to reach $5.5 billion, compared with the original revenue estimate of $3.5 billion. The extended deal with Google will run through March 21, 2016.

As for Newsweek Daily Beast, Diller said it’s too soon to tell about the possibility of future synergies, but that the Daily Beast does help to sell Newsweek’s print magazine. Diller was previously head of Paramount Pictures, Fox Broadcasting and USA Broadcasting. He started IAC in August 2008.

"Always Open" Campaign Rakes in Hits

Since Electus and DumbDumb’s successful launch of the “Always Open” web series for Denny’s restaurant chain, the hilarious videos have seen a spike in viewers and plenty of positive feedback. A recent article from SHOOT Online discussed how Electus is an example of how the industry can explore and employ various possibilities for connecting brands.

The publication talked to one of the recent stars from the web series, funnyman Will Arnett, about the link between brands and entertainment, and the possibility of eventually creating a motion picture.

"Absolutely the potential is there for that kind of feature-length project,” he said. “That’s the direction it’s going in. For years, brands have participated in this town, in movies, in television. They’ve put dollars into budgets, served as partners. We’re all figuring out more and more how to do this and it might increasingly cut out the middle man. If you can talk to a brand directly and gain an understanding of what they’re trying to do, who they’re trying to reach, you can develop the appropriate content. We’ll try to address this, going to a brand and saying, ‘We think this piece of content will reach the audience you’re trying to reach.’”

The web series focuses on the conversations between host David Koechner and an actor—usually a comedian like Arnett or Sarah Silverman—have over pancakes in a Denny’s booth. Each video is three minutes long and can be viewed on Denny’s YouTube channel.

THR Announces Annual List of Reality Stars

The Hollywood Reporter just published their 2011 Reality TV Power List, comprised of all the stars the publication calls "the top players in the lucrative world of reality programming." Tony DiSanto, who's worked with Electus, made the "Five to Watch" section of the list, alongside Loretha Jones, Bethenny Frankel, Lisa Erspamer and Bert Salke, all honorable mentions who are likely choices for next year's main list.

DiSanto partnered with Electus for the creation of a studio and production company called DiGa, which is releasing a series for Jill Martin, the author of "Fashion for Dummies," as well as three other series with Jackhole Industries. DiSanto is co-owner of DiGa with Liz Gateley. Before, DiSanto worked as the President of Programming at MTV, a position he left in January. During his time at MTV, he helped introduce several popular reality shows, including "Teen Mom," "16 and Pregnant" and "Jersey Shore."

New Campaign Helps Denny's Reel in Hipsters

Looks like DumbDumb and Ben Silverman were right on the money when they launched a new campaign for Denny's, the popular pancake restaurant that previously catered to a mostly older demographic. The "Always Open" campaign includes a comedic web series starring Jason Bateman, Sarah Silverman, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett and more. Over plates of flapjacks in a real Denny's booth, the comedians chat with host David Koechner.

Since the online shorts launched on March 9, the company has noticed a rise in younger customers, and its BrandIndex Impression score has risen from 6.2 to 25.4. To bring the videos to life, Denny's partnered with Electus, Ben Silverman's multimedia studio, and DumbDumb for digital content and production. The BrandIndex scores from YouGov reveal a changing attitude toward the Denny's brand, most noticeably in the 18-34 year-old demographic.

The lineup of respected comedians in the shorts is likely the winning factor that's getting the attention of hipsters. The increase of approval from a younger generation doesn't mean the baby boomers-- who were thought to make up the majority of the restaurant's customers-- are stepping aside. Young or old, there will be enough flapjacks for everyone.