Comic-Con Fans Tune in to Meet the ‘Wannabe’ Press and the Warped Minds Behind New Animated Laffer
SAN DIEGO, July 22 /PRNewswire/ — A new source for news and entertainment hits the web today thanks to an irreverent group of tech-savvy kids from Middle Town Community College (http://www.middletowncommunitycollege.com/) and the new show’s creators, Sierra Mist and Comedy Central alum, Adam de la Pena.
At a Comic-Con panel discussion on Friday, July 25, Sierra Mist, the lemon-lime soft drink brand known for its comedic spirit, will premiere its first original web series, On the Bubble. The new animated series, which launches a new episode each Wednesday on http://www.onthebubblenews.com/, takes a cheeky, yet refreshing look at current news through the eyes of five “wannabe” reporters from fictional Middle Town Community College.
“We essentially asked the question, ‘what if we could combine the cross-cultural appeal of animated shows such as Family Guy and South Park, with the idea of developing an alternative news source such as The Daily Show or certain blogs?’” said Frank Cooper, VP of portfolio brands, Pepsi-Cola North America. “Adam immediately understood the power of the idea and pulled together an amazing team to bring On the Bubble to life.”
On the Bubble is Sierra Mist’s latest venture in collaborating with creative talent who seek to push the boundaries of convention and explore new opportunities across a variety of platforms. Working with de la Pena and the producers at medium(TM), an entertainment content studio and sister company to Levity Entertainment, the brand enlisted a team of animation and comedy industry professionals such as Worldwide Biggies CEO Albie Hecht, Emmy-winning animation director Mark Salisbury and South Park writer Glasgow Phillips, among others, to produce the show.
“This is first-rate secondhand news,” said de la Pena. “It has always been clear to me that Sierra Mist is the best brand in the history of the universe and the fact that they are doing this show proves that I am right.”
On the Bubble is based on a group of tech-savvy college kids who, despite having no budget and few resources, create an online news program from their dorm room that appears to be falling apart at the seams. While the episodic series will offer satirical commentary on real news, the scripts will mostly focus on the five anchors’ interaction with one another during 2-3 minute segments shamelessly titled “Tool Bag of the Week,”"What the Hell?!” and “My Bad.” Characters and cast include:
— Andrea Valverde, On the Bubble’s most professional and committed lead anchor voiced by Liz Loza
— Luke Hastings, the resident “slacker” and co-anchor played by Adam de la Pena
— Kevin Mac, the slick, ego-centric co-anchor played by animation voice veteran Andy Sipes
— Gordo Roberts, the self-proclaimed entertainment “expert” voiced by Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s Dana Snyder
— Clyde Evans, On the Bubble’s professional skater and extreme sports correspondent, played by stand-up and sketch comedy veteran Jordan Black
To launch the web series across multiple online platforms, Sierra Mist drew expertise from a cross-functional agency team which included digital shop, Tribal DDB, and digital strategy company, Undercurrent.
On the Bubble’s official launch will take place during an open panel discussion on Friday, July 25 at Comic-Con San Diego between 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. in room 7AB. At this time, de la Pena will introduce the cast and the animation team behind the show as well as reveal a special, one-time-only On the Bubble screening produced exclusively for Comic-Con fans.
Sierra Mist executives will also be on the panel to shed light on the new wave of brand-produced entertainment and discuss the decision to be the main driver behind this project. Additionally, with the number of Hollywood show pitches increasing each year, the Q & A portion of the panel will offer aspiring animators and comedic content creators insightful tips on getting their ideas green lit by major brands eager to discover and invest in up-and-coming talent.
For new On the Bubble episodes, tune in each Wednesday at http://www.onthebubblenews.com/. For more information about Comic-Con registration, please visit http://www.comic-con.org/.
About Sierra Mist
Sierra Mist is a product of Purchase, N.Y.-based Pepsi-Cola North America (http://www.pepsi.com/), the refreshment beverage unit of PepsiCo, Inc., in the United States and Canada. Its U.S. brands include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Aquafina, Sierra Mist, IZZE, SoBe, Mug, Tava, Tropicana Twister Soda, Tropicana Juice Drinks, Dole and Ocean Spray single-serve juices. The company also makes and markets North America’s best-selling ready-to-drink iced teas and coffees, respectively, via joint ventures with Lipton and Starbucks. For more information, visit http://www.pepsiproductfacts.com/
About medium(TM)
medium(TM) is a new type of content development studio designed to assist America’s leading brands in creating original entertainment concepts to capture the attention of their core audience. medium(TM) bridges the disciplines of advertising, branding and entertainment to deliver highly relevant original content, targeted to specific segments, across multiple platforms. The company’s award-winning creative team staffs a full-service production house that manages all parts of the content development process from research to production to distribution. “At medium(TM), we allow content to happen – where the Message Becomes the medium(TM).” For more information on medium(TM), please contact 310.417.4888.
About Worldwide Biggies
Worldwide Biggies Inc., led by CEO Albie Hecht, is a new digital entertainment studio creating web-based intellectual properties for kids, families and young adults that are designed for additional distribution in the film, TV and licensing arenas. Worldwide Biggies launched its first multi-platform hit on Nickelodeon and Nick.com last year with The Naked Brothers Band and has produced the Video Game Awards on Spike TV, which Hecht created during his tenure as the network’s president. Last year, Worldwide Biggies also debuted Worldwide Fido (http://www.worldwidefido.com/) a website dedicated to user-submitted videos of dogs and partnered with TMZ.com on Star vs. Star (http://www.starvsstar.com/) an online celebrity fan community that features a celebrity fantasy league, a weekly video webcast and amazing Star Card artwork. Worldwide Biggies’ affiliated non-profit Shine Global was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary Feature category this year for War/Dance, a documentary set against the backdrop of Uganda’s 20 year civil war. Most recently Biggies launched The Princess Bride Game (http://www.princessbridegame.com/), the first-ever downloadable video game based on the classic film. More information go to http://www.wwbiggies.com/
Disclaimer
On the Bubble is a creative work of comedy, parody, and critical commentary on current events and public figures. Original characters, names and places are fictitious and do not depict real persons, places or events. Comedic references or other opinions expressed about actual persons, products, or works of any kind are for entertainment and commentary purposes only and do not reflect any sponsorship, endorsement, affiliation or approval whatsoever by any of those actual persons, products or works of On the Bubble, nor of any of the content presented in On the Bubble, nor of any of On the Bubble’s sponsors or affiliates.
Press Contacts: Sierra Mist Michelle Naughton, Pepsi-Cola North America, 914.253.2950, michelle.naughton@pepsi.com Edelman on behalf of Sierra Mist/On the Bubble Karina Carretero, Edelman, 323.202.1899, Karina.Carretero@edelman.com Grace Chang, Edelman, 323.202.1422, Grace.Chang@edelman.com
OnTheBubbleNews.com
CONTACT: Michelle Naughton, Pepsi-Cola North America, +1-914-253-2950,michelle.naughton@pepsi.com, for Sierra Mist; or Karina Carretero,+1-323-202-1899, Karina.Carretero@edelman.com, or Grace Chang,+1-323-202-1422, Grace.Chang@edelman.com, both of Edelman, for Sierra Mist/Onthe Bubble
Web site: http://www.onthebubblenews.com/