Rhett & Link Hook up with Synthetic Pictures
The directing team, known as "The Commercial Kings" by IFC, join the Synthetic Films roster.
Synthetic Signs Viral Visionaries Rhett & Link
Synthetic Pictures signs the viral directing team Rhett & Link. The directing duo has made appearances on Conan O'Brien and Lopez Tonight, with spots featured on Ellen and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Their work has parodied local TV commercials and their YouTube content has vaulted them to the top of the viral advertising world, garnering more than 125 million video views. Named the "Commercial Kings" in their IFC television series, Rhett & Link rank at the top of the viral world, with branded content videos such as "Epic Rap Battle" for Dentyne (4 million views) and "In The 80s" (2 million views). "When we got a call from Moroch saying they wanted to take our viral video 'T-shirt War' (8 million views) and turn it into a national TV commercial for McDonald's and Coke, we knew we were crossing over," says Link, who is one half of the directing duo. "We created and starred in 'T-shirt Wars 2', and it was pretty thrilling."
"In addition to our more traditional broadcast work, the branded content trend is continuing to grow as clients look for more integration," says Synthetic founder Justin Corsbie, giving a nod to the value of 800,000 YouTube subscribers and millions of followers. "Signing Rhett & Link further develops Synthetic's strategy of building director 'brands' with built-in online audiences, aligning our directors with agencies and clients that understand that added value and want to leverage it for their brands."
Childhood friends since the first grade in North Carolina, both went on to earn engineering degrees, eventually creating a website and later a YouTube channel together as a fun distraction, a hobby on the side. The duo's engineering days were over when they were cast to host the CW's "Online Nation," and later helped create and star in IFC's "Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings," which followed their commercial directing adventures across America.
The team moved to Los Angles, developing and directing commercials and viral ad campaigns for brands that include Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Taco Bell, Sanyo, GE, Starburst, Dentyne, and Alka-Seltzer. They've received a number of industry honors, including AdWeek's Best Online Campaign of 2008, two Webbies at the 2011 Webby Awards, AdAge's Best Local Commercial of the 2010 Viral Video Awards, two Gold Awards at the 2009 Bessies, and a Gold Award for AdAge's 2008 W3 Awards. Two of Rhett & Link's commercials were selected as part of Time Magazine's Top 10 of Everything, both in 2010 and 2011.
"Rhett & Link know how to engage audiences, how to keep viewers coming back for more," says Synthetic Executive Producer Simon Barrett, "Their work is flat-out funny."
Published 26, January 2012
