Creative agency INNOCEAN will launch Cinema by Brand, a new business platform connecting brands with global filmmakers to develop and produce original film content.
The initiative was developed in partnership with the Asian Contents and Film Market (ACFM), held during the Busan International Film Festival. INNOCEAN plans to make Cinema by Brand an annual initiative beginning this year.
Beyond Advertising: Expanding Into Film and Entertainment
Cinema by Brand connects brands with global creators to plan and produce original content. Rather than simply recasting conventional advertising in cinematic form, it places entertainment value and creative quality at the center from the earliest planning stage, opening up new possibilities for brand communication.
Filmmakers from around the world will submit proposals that interpret a single brand through their own cinematic perspectives and storytelling. The selected project will typically undergo at least six months of production and is expected to be released as early as summer 2027 in theaters or on global streaming platforms.
A defining feature of Cinema by Brand is its integrated, year-long content development and production process, spanning brand selection, global creator briefings, project development and selection, film production, and theatrical or streaming release.
Through the platform, the company aims to secure sustainable IP, drive global distribution, and expand the range of content and IP options available to brands.
Night Fishing as Model
Cinema by Brand grew out of INNOCEAN’s ambition to scale the potential of brands and entertainment demonstrated by Night Fishing, the short film it produced with Hyundai Motor Company last year.
Night Fishing was the first cinematic branded content in Korea to receive a paid theatrical release. It told its story entirely through cameras installed on a vehicle. With a 13-minute runtime and a ticket price of KRW 1,000, the film attracted 46,000 paying moviegoers nationwide.
Night Fishing won the Grand Prix at Cannes Lions 2025, followed by the Best Editing Award at the Fantasia International Film Festival.
INNOCEAN’s strategy is to combine its brand communication and creative capabilities with the film industry’s creative and production ecosystem, extending brand marketing into entertainment.
Following a series of discussions with ACFM, INNOCEAN developed and finalized the Cinema by Brand model. Submitted project proposals will be reviewed jointly by INNOCEAN, participating brands, ACFM, and the Producers Guild of Korea (PGK). The final project will be selected through a comprehensive evaluation of the story’s originality and artistic merit, its interpretation of the brand, production feasibility, and budget suitability.
ACFM brings together film professionals, including directors and producers, from 55 countries.
According to INNOCEAN, many branded films have traditionally either added cinematic elements to a conventional advertising format or relied heavily on a limited pool of directors, often diluting the brand in the process. Cinema by Brand is designed to structurally reinvent branded filmmaking through a competitive global pool of hundreds of directors, competition among diverse creative ideas, and multiple production plans and budgets that brands can compare before making a selection.
To support this business expansion, INNOCEAN recently established a Content Studio staffed by content specialists. Beyond Cinema by Brand, the team will expand and advance INNOCEAN’s IP business across television, drama, live performance, exhibitions, YouTube and influencer management.
“Starting with Cinema by Brand, we will continue to expand our creative capabilities beyond the traditional boundaries of advertising and marketing into film, entertainment, content and IP,” said Jung A Kim, Global CEO, INNOCEAN.
“In particular, we will build a distinctive business model that connects brands, creators and the film industry, and continue to identify new growth opportunities.”
