Entertainment branding and marketing veteran Curt Doty has launched Vertuoso, a creative and production agency specifically focused on “Vertical Storytelling” (think Snapchat). Vertuoso will work with studios, networks, brands, agencies, and media companies to collaborate on creating and optimizing their video campaigns–promotional campaigns for movies and TV shows, and advertising campaigns for brands and services–by taking advantage of the latest consumer behaviors in their consumption of social video. The new company is based in LA, New York and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Doty, who has long specialized in integrated marketing, multi-channel storytelling, branding, identity, and user experience, will serve as CEO of Vertuoso. Prior to launching Vertuoso and his consultancy CurtDoty.co in 2014, Doty held creative executive positions within Weber Shandwick (sr. VP), Universal Pictures (VP, Creative Services), Trailer Park (president, Advanced Content), and Pittard Sullivan (executive VP/executive creative director), working on projects for major entertainment, media, and brand clientele. Earlier, he had also been a creative director with 3 Ring Circus.
Named as exec producer for Vertuoso is Greg Babiuk, a creative development and media production executive with over 20 years of experience across all media.
Regarding the launch of his new enterprise, Doty said, “My passion lies at the intersection of design, content, and technology. I have been fortunate enough to have worked on entertainment branding and marketing campaigns for many of the biggest companies in the world for the past few decades. With social video driving the adoption of square and vertical formats, we believe that mobile advertising should provide the same, and, at times, an even more interactive, viral experience. Vertuoso will provide our clients with multi-platform storytelling across multiple channels, with an ‘Always On’ approach to achieve ‘Flightless’ campaigns.”
Babiuk added, “Looking ahead, we believe that a major element of future marketing campaigns will involve Vertical Storytelling. We hold our phones vertically 94% of the time. Vertical viewing has increased 600% over the last 5 years, while vertical videos have nine times higher completion rates. Users want vertical content now, more than ever. We will focus our creativity and technological expertise on this new marketing tool, which we believe will quickly become invaluable for our clients.”
Concurrent with its launch Vertuoso has also assembled an advisory board comprised of: Spencer Gerrol, CEO of SPARK Neuro, a company which he founded on the principle of employing neuroscience in advertising and entertainment; David Shor, the CEO of Prove , and a veteran technologist, marketer, and analytics expert; and Hassan Wharton-Ali, CEO of AboveLine Media, who has over 18 years of experience in the media and entertainment industries working at major companies including Technicolor, Hulu, and Miramax.
Actor Kathryn Crosby, widow of Bing Crosby, dies at 90
Kathryn Crosby, who appeared in such movies as "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad", "Anatomy of a Murder," and "Operation Mad Ball" before marrying famed singer and Oscar-winning actor Bing Crosby, has died. She was 90.
She died of natural causes Friday night at her home in the Northern California city of Hillsborough, a family spokesperson said Saturday.
Appearing under her stage name of Kathryn Grant, she appeared opposite Tony Curtis in "Mister Cory" in 1957 and Victor Mature in "The Big Circus" in 1959. She made five movies with film noir director Phil Karlson, including "Tight Spot" and "The Phenix City Story," both in 1955.
Her other leading men included Jack Lemmon in "Operation Mad Ball," James Darren in "The Brothers Rico," and James Stewart in "Anatomy of a Murder," directed by Otto Preminger.
Born Olive Kathryn Grandstaff on Nov. 25, 1933, in West Columbia, Texas, she graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in fine arts. She came to Hollywood and began her movie career in 1953.
She met Bing Crosby while doing interviews for a column she wrote about Hollywood for her hometown newspaper. They were married in 1957, when she was 23 and he was 54.
She curtailed her acting career after the wedding, although she appeared often with Crosby and their three children on his Christmas television specials and in Minute Maid orange juice commercials. She became a registered nurse in 1963.
In the 1970s, she hosted a morning talk show on KPIX-TV in Northern California.
After Crosby's death at age 74 in 1977, from a heart attack after golfing in Spain, she appeared in stage productions of "Same Time, Next Year" and "Charley's Aunt." She co-starred with John Davidson and Andrea McArdle in the 1996 Broadway... Read More