Entertainment company Alkemy X has secured Astra Reps for national U.S. sales representation. Founded by industry vet Astra Dorf, Astra Reps serves as a creative resource for the media and entertainment industries and beyond. Dorf brings over 25 years of experience across entertainment, media, design, production and digital and social transformation. She began her PR/marketing career at Lee Hunt Associates, a leading entertainment branding agency, specializing in TV network launches, design and brand strategy. She promoted LHA’s award-winning talent through key industry press, events, international conferences and more. When LHA was acquired by Razorfish in 1999, she continued to focus on the broadcast, media and entertainment vertical (NY/LA/UK) until 2001, working with clients including NBC, PBS and Arte. After a hiatus to find her zen while getting certified in Vinyasa Yoga, she launched a freelance lifestyle PR agency, Astra Logicals. After a few years, she was lured back into the industry by a colleague, leading business development for a prominent design and production company. In 2008, Astra leveraged more than a decade of relationships in the industry to launch Astra Reps. In 2015, she took the opportunity to join Mod Op internally as its director of business development before shifting back to relaunching Astra Reps in 2018….
Across the Pond, a London-based independent agency, has appointed Christopher Godfree to the newly created role of head of client services. Reporting directly to global managing director Aaron Hutchinson, Godfree is briefed to develop deeper relationships with clients and to play a key role in furthering the agency’s mission to work with the world’s most innovative tech brands, helping them to make the complex, human. As well as focusing on existing clients including Google, YouTube, Expedia and DeepMind, Godfree will help develop Across the Pond’s global business, with a key focus on EMEA. He will also support the agencies in the U.S., Singapore and Shanghai to advance their account direction expertise. Godfree was previously head of client services at Red Bee Creative, and before that was at JWT (now part of Wunderman Thompson) working on KitKat, DeBeers, HSBC and British Army. His experience also covers brands including Nissan, Netflix, Disney+, Magic Light and Hyundai. In his nine years at Red Bee, Godfree was also business director for BBC, UKTV and a range of branded content clients. Earlier in his career he was based in Tokyo at mobile technology company, Itecjapan, having started out working in the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs….
Sinners and Saints Adds Apple Pie To Its Branded Menu
Bicoastal Sinners and Saints--the multidisciplinary studio overseen by managing director/executive producer Heather Heller, and partners/EPs Yann Henric and Thomas Carroll--has added Apple Pie Tabletop to its roster for branded content. Known for its food and beverage content creation, Apple Pie comprises the husband-and-wife team of director/DP Gene Dubin and director/art director Alisa Volodina. In addition to representation, the move expands Apple Pie’s production capabilities through the combination of its centrally located full-service studio in New York and a newly established mobile studio in Los Angeles. Apple Pie recently teamed with Sinners and Saints on a Wienerschnitzel project created by Innocean.
“We believe that our dual studio strategy positions us uniquely in the competitive landscape of food and beverage storytelling,” said Heller. “By blending the artistry of the New York studio with the flexibility of our Los Angeles location, we can tailor our productions to meet the unique demands of each project, regardless of geography.”
“Working with Sinners and Saints in the demanding field of tabletop was an absolute pleasure,” shared Apple Pie Tabletop in a joint statement. “Warm welcome, unwavering support and dedication--everything a director can ask for. The entire experience was both enjoyable and rewarding. We will not miss an opportunity to collaborate with them again.”
“The first thing you notice is that Apple Pie has beautiful work,” Heller observed. “Having worked with them, I can say that Gene and Alisa are extremely meticulous and detail-oriented; their combination of talent and agility appeals to agencies and clients.” Also appealing to Heller is Apple Pie Tabletop’s brisk international... Read More