South Korea – INNOCEAN has unveiled Cinema by Brand, a new business platform designed to connect brands with filmmakers worldwide to develop original film content, marking the agency’s expansion beyond conventional advertising into entertainment and IP-driven business models.

“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 of 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,” he added.

INNOCEAN announced on 28 July that it will launch the initiative in partnership with the Asian Contents & Film Market (ACFM), Asia’s largest content market, held during the Busan International Film Festival in October. Filmmakers from around the world will be invited to submit proposals interpreting a single brand through their own cinematic perspectives and storytelling, rather than simply reshaping traditional advertising into film form.

The selected project is expected to undergo at least six months of production, with release targeted as early as summer 2027 in cinemas or on global streaming platforms. INNOCEAN said the initiative reflects a year-long content development cycle, spanning brand selection, global creator briefings, project selection, production and eventual release. The company plans to run Cinema by Brand as an annual initiative from this year onwards, positioning it as a sustainable business connecting brands with content and intellectual property.

Submitted proposals will be reviewed jointly by INNOCEAN, participating brands, ACFM and the Producers Guild of Korea (PGK), with selection based on the originality and artistic merit of the story, its interpretation of the brand, production feasibility and budget suitability. INNOCEAN said the model aims to move away from the industry norm of relying on a limited pool of directors, instead drawing on a competitive global pool of hundreds of filmmakers from the 55 countries represented through ACFM.

To support the expansion, INNOCEAN has established a new Content Studio, staffed by content specialists, which will oversee Cinema by Brand alongside the company’s wider IP business across television, drama, live performance, exhibitions, YouTube and influencer management.