Groundbreaking Digital Reality Series @SummerBreak Set To Return

LOS ANGELES, March 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- @SummerBreak, the social media real-time reality show is coming back. Casting has begun on the program, which will put followers back in the middle of the action as a group of SoCal teenagers explode out of high school for one, final life-changing summer together.

Launched in 2013 by AT&T, BBDO and The Chernin Group, @SummerBreak began as an experiment. A real-time reality show that lived on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Tumblr. The results exceeded all expectations, racking up 15 million views and 10 million social engagements, in addition to demonstrating a data-driven, interactive approach to storytelling.

The success of @SummerBreak and its return as a full-fledged entertainment franchise is proof positive that collaborations between forward-thinking brands and premium content creators can resonate with fans. The immersive experience will be expanded even further this time around, with Astronauts Wanted, the transmedia youth content brand helmed by Judy McGrath, former CEO of MTV Networks, joining as a key creative contributor and producer of the series. @SummerBreak Co-Creator Billy Parks will executive produce the project.

Followed for the summer by a production team, the teens' experiences are shared the same way they are in reality -- in real-time on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, YouTube, and more.

@SummerBreak represents the intersection of mobile technology and entertainment, and shows how AT&T's network, products and services can deliver real-time experiences that reflect today's youth. AT&T's involvement in this digital reality series is further evidence of how millennials are living mobile centric lifestyles and accessing content across a variety of social media platforms.

"We are constantly innovating in how we market to and engage with our consumers. @SummerBreak is an example of an experiment that worked. The metrics blew us away, so coming back for season two was an easy decision," said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility. "We are pushing hard to continually evolve how we engage youth in new, authentic ways – and it all revolves around mobile."

"The audience wants to be involved," says Billy Parks, co-creator of @SummerBreak. "18 year olds have become masters at crafting and sharing their own realities. The fourth wall is down. We learned last summer that we can shape-shift the storyline in real-time to respond to audience feedback. It's a completely new form of storytelling. The audience becomes another editor."

"@SummerBreak is a testament to the impact of social platforms and their ability to elevate the way we experience entertainment, allowing us to watch, discuss, and influence, all at the same time," adds Scott Bromley, who oversees the project for The Chernin Group. "We have found truly excellent collaborative relationships with AT&T, BBDO and Astronauts Wanted, who all share this vision."

The @SummerBreak Twitter handle will continue as the hub of the show, re-tweeting the most exciting content, and releasing the episodes, allowing followers to get to know these kids intimately over a summer where anything can happen. But the interaction continues regardless of platform – as @SummerBreak explores the boundaries across the social space, expanding its reach to emerging and popular platforms like SnapChat and Vine.

Audiences everywhere are invited to follow the journey instantly through the personal social media handles of the cast with videos, tweets, confessionals, updates, and chats that roll out in sync with the teens' daily lives. Experience the parties, the beaches, the sunsets, the dramas and the break-ups as they happen.

Real life. Real kids. Real-time.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's most reliable 4G LTE network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile Internet, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV service with the AT&T U-verse^® brand. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

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About BBDO
BBDO's mantra is "The Work. The Work. The Work."  Every day, BBDO people in 289 offices in 81 countries work day by day, job by job and client by client to create and deliver the world's most compelling commercial content.  For eight years in a row, BBDO has been named the most creative agency network in the world in The Gunn Report, and for six years in a row, BBDO was also ranked the most awarded agency network across all marketing communications in The Directory Big Won.  In addition, BBDO has been named Network of the Year at Cannes five times and was also named the world's most Effective Agency Network in the inaugural Effie Effectiveness Index.  BBDO has been chosen Agency of the Year multiple times by each of the leading industry trade publications. BBDO is part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), a leading global marketing and corporate communications company.

About The Chernin Group
The Chernin Group, LLC (TCG) is a privately held, independent media holding company founded by Peter Chernin and based in Los Angeles, CA. TCG has built, managed, operated, and invested in businesses in the media, entertainment, and technology sectors around the world since 2010. TCG's assets include Chernin Entertainment, which produces feature films and television programs; a majority stake in Hong Kong-based CA Media, which builds, manages, and operates media, entertainment, and technology businesses across Asia; a controlling stake in Crunchyroll an emerging OTT platform, and a range of strategic investments in media and digital media companies including Pandora, Twitter, Fullscreen, Base79, MiTú, Tumblr, Flipboard and Scopely. Providence Equity Partners LLC; Qatar Holding LLC; and 1Verge (investment vehicle of Victor Koo, founding CEO of Youku and Chengwei Capital) are other shareholders and strategic partners of TCG.

About Astronauts Wanted
Astronauts Wanted: No Experience Necessary is a content brand for the mobile-first audience: young female Millennials and Generation Z. The company creates programming around emerging talent, distinctive new voices and social influencers. Astronauts Wanted is a joint venture between Judy McGrath, former Chairman and CEO of MTV Networks, and Sony Music Entertainment.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.