Psyop Acquires Content & Co, Will Connect Top Hollywood Creators To Agency Clients

VENICE, Calif., Sept. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Psyop, the multi-award-winning agency celebrated for its groundbreaking work in animation, design, and live-action production, today announces that it has acquired Content & Co, the modern media studio founded by Stuart McLean. Content & Co's existing talent relationships--which include first-look deals with top Hollywood showrunners from both scripted and unscripted television--are now part of Psyop as the agency folds these opportunities into its offering. With the acquisition of Content & Co, Psyop is excited to include branded content development among its world-class commercial direction, production, animation, ideation, AR, and technology services. 

"By acquiring Content & Co, we're emphasizing the best of what Psyop is -- a team of highly adept artists and creators who create unforgettable content led by thoughtful design and breathtaking art -- and in the process we're letting the company grow and evolve to better serve our clients," said Todd Mueller, Co-Founder and Director, Psyop. "As brands look to find ways to get closer to makers, we want to position Psyop as the only creative source that they need. By bringing the best talent to the table, we'll operate with the speed, efficiency, and explosive creativity that our customers require to produce highly engaging cost-effective content."

Psyop, recently described by Ad Age as "the go-to shop for top-notch animation and design," is expanding its global portfolio and presence by optimizing its top creative and production talent across New York, Los Angeles, and London. The acquisition of Content & Co is one element of the company's global realignment strategy to position itself for future growth and to better serve its brand and agency clients in the digital era. Together, Psyop and Content & Co will connect brands directly with makers to create more meaningful content. McLean will remain as president of Content & Co.

"The best marketing is indistinguishable from entertainment. Great storytelling cuts across media so brands can connect with their consumers in the most impactful ways possible," said McLean. "By joining forces with Psyop, we'll be able to take our creative capabilities to new heights to better serve Psyop's already impressive roster of world-class brand partners."

As a part of its strategic refocusing, Psyop has also officially joined forces with its sister company, Blacklist, consolidating both agencies' executive leadership and sales teams to strengthen and optimize their production capabilities and output. Though both brands will continue to exist as separate entities, Psyop has become the roster of individuals, whereas Blacklist has become the roster of directors and studio partners, creating an international network with strong hubs in New York and Los Angeles, as well as studio partners in Canada, the UK, Europe, and South America.

Psyop also recently announced the closing of a minority purchase in Golden Wolf, the London-based production company known for its vibrant and design-minded content. This strategic investment has enabled the two companies to collaborate on design projects, fusing Golden Wolf's depth of 2D talent with that of Psyop's 3D expertise to produce youthful and captivating visual content.

Recent Psyop work includes Travel Oregon's "Only Slightly Exaggerated" campaign; Coca-Cola's "Mural" campaign; Xbox's "The Super Duper Minecraft Musical" campaign; and Sherwin-Williams' "Epiphany" campaign. For more information, please visit www.psyop.com.  

About Psyop
Founded in 2001 by five artists, Psyop is a creative content studio with a simple mission: to Persuade, Change and Influence audiences by crafting compelling content that viewers seek out and share. Celebrated for groundbreaking work that has earned Emmys, Lions, and Annies, Psyop specializes in telling stories and designing with meaning for any screen or medium, and has now expanded to studios in New York and Los Angeles where it creates commercials, shorts, VR experiences, games, web series, VFX, and feature films.

About Content & Co
Content & Co is an ever-expanding modern media studio of best-in-class showrunners, writers, artists, planners, and strategic thinkers who produce content that elevates the power of your brand with every view. Led by Founder Stuart McLean and based in Los Angeles, the company has produced original series for Subway, Schick, TJX, FCA, and many other major brands. As an end-to-end solution for marketers, Content & Co combines creative, multi-channel distribution and reporting to produce unforgettable brand-authored content. Learn more at www.contentandco.com.

SOURCE Psyop