CNN’s Great Big Story chases luxury content spend with Genesis partnership
CNN-owned Great Big Story is bolstering its content and advertising offerings by launching a new channel, Origins, as part of a year-long partnership with Hyundai’s luxury car brand Genesis.
Great Big Story's Origins
The channel is designed to explore the history of things, from design to food to pop culture, and as such slots “seamlessly” with a Genesis brand integration, which will see it align the DNA of the luxury brand with the storytelling element of Great Big Story, according to Sunita Rajan, senior VP of advertising sales at Asia Pacific, CNN International Commercial.
Genesis Motors is the luxury vehicle division of the South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai Motor Company, which was officially announced as a standalone brand in November 2015. The brand has been launched in Korea, North America, Russia, and Middle East, and aims to expand to Europe and China in the near future, CNN said. Origins is designed to build and establish Genesis as a premier luxury brand in the global market.
“Through an exploration of stories about creation and legacy, Great Big Story can be a powerful brand-building platform amongst a global audience and continue the growth of Genesis as it disrupts the luxury automotive market,” Rajan said.
The Origins channel will live across greatbigstory.com and Great Big Story apps, with stories posted weekly. Genesis branding will be integrated into Origins, which will include over 50 editorial and branded content videos about origins of ideas and creations from all over the world, including many stories emanating from Korea.
As part of the partnership, CNN will create the brand’s first significant branded content campaign, which will include a series of videos published on the channel that will focus on the origin story of Genesis and how the brand draws inspiration from Korea’s legacy and heritage.
Great Big Story launched nearly one year ago as an answer to the rise of Buzzfeed and Vice, focusing on shareable stories and branded video content.
Manfred Fitzgerald, head of Genesis brand, said: "Since the Genesis brand was introduced to the world, curiosity around the brand has been greatly aroused. We feel that now is the right timing to unfold who we are to the global audience in a more in-depth way. There are so many hidden fascinating stories behind Genesis, and they will be unveiled through a year-long partnership with Great Big Story."