In this episode of Screen & Sponsor, Olivia speak's with Sheila Holman, head of marketing at the U.S. Postal Service, and Brendan Gaul, president of Traverse32, about the revival of the classic USPS character Mr. Zip in a new animated children’s series.

Sheila explains why now was the right time to reintroduce Mr. Zip and how USPS is reaching preschool audiences on YouTube through a partnership with Moonbug Entertainment, the studio behind Blippi and Cocomelon. Brendan shares how the project fits into USPS’s broader branded entertainment strategy—including the Dear Santa franchise—and why narrative storytelling can sometimes drive deeper engagement than traditional ads.

• How Mr. Zip was reinvented for today’s audiences with new sidekicks B. Franklin and Farley
• Why USPS sees branded entertainment as a complement to traditional advertising
• The role of measurement and KPIs in long-form brand storytelling
• How USPS plans to expand Mr. Zip into books, licensing, and other revenue streams
• Why consistency in children’s programming matters, and what shows like Bluey and Scooby-Doo can teach marketers

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Have a story to pitch or want to collaborate? Email Olivia at [email protected]

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In this episode of Screen & Sponsor, Olivia Morley speaks with Ramon Soto, SVP and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Northwell Health, about how the health system is leveraging film, TV, and long-form storytelling to reimagine healthcare marketing.

Soto shares how Northwell built a branded entertainment studio inside a sprawling healthcare system, how the team navigates patient privacy and regulatory risk, and why emotionally resonant, journalistic storytelling is often more powerful than traditional advertising. He also reflects on past partnerships with HBO and Netflix—and what it taught him about the primacy of distribution.

Subscribe to the Screen & Sponsor newsletter on Substack for weekly insights, behind-the-scenes takeaways, and curated examples from the world of brand-funded storytelling.

Have a story to pitch or want to collaborate? Email Olivia at [email protected].

In this episode of Screen & Sponsor, Olivia Morley and Jessie Holder sit down with John Partilla, CEO of Screenvision Media, and Erik Dochtermann, CEO of MODCo Media, to examine the role of cinema in modern advertising—and whether the movie theater might be one of the last places to truly capture attention at scale.

John and Erik discuss how cinema advertising fits into broader media plans, what makes the format uniquely immersive, and how brands are using long-form creative in the theatrical pre-show. They also weigh in on shifting budget priorities, the limits of performance metrics in upper-funnel media, and the tension between nostalgia and measurement in today’s media mix.

Highlights from the conversation include:

• How attention metrics are reshaping interest in cinema advertising
• The challenge of balancing scale, narrative, and measurability
• Why some marketers view theaters as a brand-building “refuge”
• How longer-form creative is being used to establish emotional resonance
• What recession-era consumer behavior could mean for theatrical ads

Research suggests that cinema ads can deliver significantly higher engagement than traditional linear or streaming spots. But even as interest in the format grows, theater buys remain a small fraction of most advertisers’ budgets—raising questions about how to quantify their impact and where they fit in an omnichannel strategy.

For Partilla and Dochtermann, the medium’s value lies in its immersive nature and ability to deliver storytelling that connects with audiences—without the clutter of multitasking and second screens. Whether that’s enough to overcome marketers’ demand for real-time performance data remains to be seen.

Subscribe to the Screen & Sponsor Substack newsletter—our free guide to this podcast. We aim to publish weekly, with extra insights, resources, and curation to help you stay ahead in this space.

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📩 Olivia at [email protected]

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Explore Our Other Podcasts:

• Agency Business: Olivia and ad industry analyst Brian Wieser cover the business side of advertising, unpacking how executives and founders across the ecosystem run their organizations.

In this episode of Screen & Sponsor, co-hosts Olivia Morley and Jessie Holder talk with Nema Vand—director at VaynerX's Eva Nosidam Productions. and former cast member of Bravo’s Shahs of Sunset—about what it means to build a career at the intersection of personal brand, unscripted entertainment, and agency-led creative strategy.

Nema walks us through how his Bravo experience shaped his directing style, why reality stars make incredible brand talent, and how Vayner is pushing branded entertainment forward through Eva Nosidam and VaynerWatt.

We’ll cover:

• The lessons unscripted TV taught Nema about creative direction and authenticity
• How Vayner’s “speed of culture” model drives integrated brand storytelling
• Why shoppable TV and social-first storytelling are the next big thing
• How Vayner brought Real Housewives rivals together for a viral Super Bowl spot
• What it takes to get a branded show placed on platforms like Tubi—and why social is always the starting point

Subscribe to the Screen & Sponsor Substack newsletter—our free guide to this podcast. We aim to publish weekly, with extra insights, resources, and curation to help you stay ahead in this space.

If you’re working in this space—or want to—email Olivia at [email protected]. We’re also looking for advertising partners who share our vision, so don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thanks for joining us!

Stay updated on the latest insights, new podcast episodes, and everything we’re learning about brand-funded entertainment. Follow us on LinkedIn.

In this episode, co-hosts Olivia Morley and Jessie Holder interview Tasha Day, VP of strategy and planning at Exverus Media, to dive into the groundbreaking series, The Chosen. Known as one of the largest crowdfunded media projects of all time, The Chosen is a historical drama series depicting the life of Jesus and his apostles, and recently premiered its highly anticipated fifth season in theaters.

Tasha walks us through the unconventional path that led to the series’ massive popularity, discussing how fan-driven crowdfunding, merchandise sales, and a nonprofit partnership with the Come and See Foundation have powered the series. She also shares insights into Exverus Media’s comprehensive media strategy, detailing how the team successfully drives awareness, viewership, app downloads, and merchandise sales through a mix of channels, including strategic CTV placements, high-impact out-of-home activations, YouTube targeting, and global outreach campaigns.

Here are a few things we talked about:

• What it takes to market a crowdfunded show to mainstream audiences
• Why merchandise is such a powerful funding tool for The Chosen
• How Exverus measures success and optimizes across channels
• How the team is working to reach new viewers, including women and global audiences

Subscribe to the Screen & Sponsor Substack newsletter, your free guide to this podcast. We aim to publish weekly, with extra insights, resources, and curation to help you stay ahead in this space.

If you’re working in this space, email Olivia at [email protected]. We’re also looking for advertising partners who share our vision, so don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thanks for joining us!

Stay updated on the latest insights, new podcast episodes, and everything we’re learning about brand-funded entertainment. Follow us on LinkedIn.

Welcome to the first episode of Screen & Sponsor! I’m Olivia Morley, here with my co-host Jessie Holder, and we’re kicking off this season by diving into how brands are reshaping the world of entertainment.

In this debut episode, we’re talking with Oscar-winning producer and Sugar23 CEO Michael Sugar and Daniel Rosenberg, founding partner at Piro—a creative agency and production company that’s at the forefront of brand-funded filmmaking.

We’ll cover:

• How brands are changing Hollywood’s funding model.
• The opportunities and challenges of working with brand partners.
• Tips for filmmakers and marketers to navigate this new era.

Whether you’re a filmmaker, a marketer, or curious about how stories get made, this episode is your crash course on where the industry is headed.

Subscribe to the Screen & Sponsor newsletter, your free guide to this podcast. We aim to publish weekly, with extra insights, resources, and curation to help you stay ahead in this space.

If you’re working in this space—or want to—email me at [email protected]. We’re also looking for advertising partners who share our vision, so don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thanks for joining us—let’s dive in!

Stay updated on the latest insights, new podcast episodes, and everything we’re learning about brand-funded entertainment. Follow us on LinkedIn.

Join me for season one, as I explore how brands are revolutionizing film production and reshaping the way you and I experience cinema. We'll learn how industry players in Hollywood and on Madison Avenue are working together to give us films like the Barbie movie.

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For advertising opportunities, reach out to Olivia at [email protected].