Presenting
a new venture
The Shift to Brand Entertainment is driving results
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Fast Company, Brand Entertainment, Lief Entertainment Company
“Marketers—and audiences, for that matter—are going to see some big changes coming to screens, both big and small.”
FAST COMPANY
We’ve had branded entertainment since Procter & Gamble invented soap operas back in the 1930s. But today, brands are forced to diversify the ways in which they gain and hold our attention. It’s no longer as viable or effective to depend on traditional paid media tools.
Innovative marketers are increasingly investing in content and experiences that attract and engage audiences rather than interrupt and annoy them. And the shift is driving results. Brands of all stripes talk about “brand entertainment,” but it’s the exceptions that truly create actual entertainment.
“The most significant drivers of these developments stem from the evolving platforms, fueled by audience preferences and behavior, as well as the economic realities driving brands and Hollywood into each other’s arms more often and in more varied ways.” writes Jeff Beer of Fast Company.
The article explores how the line between marketing and media is rapidly disappearing. By 2026, the industry expects branded content to be indistinguishable from traditional entertainment in terms of quality, talent, and audience engagement..
The founding of Lief Entertainment Company in October 2025 represents this radical shift from traditional branded content. The company will pair visionary filmmakers – Lief’s roster for commercial representation alone includes Misan Harriman, Haifaa Al Mansour, and Bertrand Bonello – with brands ready to make bold creative commitments.
“We’re not just another production company,” Mars emphasises, defining brand entertainment as distinct from outdated notions of branded content. “We’re creating a new category where entertainment becomes an asset, not a cost. Where brands become cultural forces, not just commercial entities.”
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