ITV Studios has launched Studio 55 – a global brand partnership studio designed to offer brands, marketing agencies and content creators access to ITV Studios’ portfolio of IP.
Announced by Ruth Berry, president global partnerships & Zoo 55, Studio 55’s focus will span bigger licensing deals, global IP collaborations, and digital first formats all targeted to deepen fan loyalty and build on how audiences interact with TV brands.
The Studio is led by Will Scougal (pictured), newly appointed EVP of brand & commercial partnerships. Scougal brings a digital pedigree to the role as a former leader at Snapchat and X (Twitter) and co-founder of social media agency, Make My Day (now part of We Are Social).
Studio 55 is built on two core pillars. Firstly, a centralised brand licensing hub for global deals, offering a ‘one-stop shop’ for consumer products, live tours, immersive fan experiences and more across franchises including The Voice and Love Island. Secondly, a commitment to digital-first IP. Here, Studio 55 will pair brands, marketing agencies and content creators with ITV Studios’ archive of shows and fresh IP to co-create digital-first formats.
ITVS said “several deals for globally franchised ITV Studios IP are to be announced in the coming months”. However it signalled its intent by launching It Started With A Kiss, a new dating podcast sponsored by Tinder and produced by Twofour (part of ITV Studios).
Told through an LGBTQ+ lens, It Started With A Kiss will explore love, attraction and the realities of dating today. Each week, two celebrity hosts (to be revealed) will be joined by an iconic guest to spill the tea on love, lust and everything in between. At the heart of every episode is the guest’s Hot Date, a segment developed with Tinder, where cheeky questions uncover their ultimate idea of a perfect date night, right down to the tiniest details.
Studio 55’s digital first formats will be published by the Zoo 55 team led by Martin Trickey, which is already generating millions of views and subscribers to ITV Studios’ 200+ owned and operated channels on social media. Studio 55 will also work with Mike Beale and the Global Creative Network, to connect partner brands with producers.
Berry said “With the launch of Studio 55 and Zoo 55, I feel we are truly set up for the future of entertainment. We have expanded our infrastructure to allow us to broaden our range of partners to brands, agencies and creators, as well as licensees. It’s all driven by the desire to meet the fandoms of our franchises where they are, on every platform.”
Scougal added: “In the modern entertainment ecosystem, our ambition for Studio 55 is to help brands become a natural part of the communities fans love and even create fandoms of their own. We want to build partnerships that feel like a natural way to meet people where they are – be that on social, via a consumer product or experience.”
