HOLLER UNVEILS NEXT-GENERATION ANIMATION STUDIO

Leading Talent and Sports Agency CAA Will Advise Holler On Bringing Thousands of Beloved Animated Characters to Life through Brand Partnerships, Television, Film, Digital Content Distribution, and More

NEW YORK, Dec. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today conversational media company Holler is betting on animation with its reintroduction to the world as Holler Studios, a full service animation studio. Holler's popular sticker and gif characters, which have been used by more than 70 million consumers worldwide on Venmo and other popular messaging apps, will now be brought to life through multi-platform storytelling.

Founded by Group Black's co-founder and CEO, Travis Montaque, Holler was launched with a mission to "enrich conversations everywhere." With this sentiment at its core, Holler developed relatable content that helped millions of diverse people around the world express themselves authentically in DMs and beyond. Based on data showing deep engagement with and affection for its characters, Holler developed an in-house animation studio to serve fans of its animation across all platforms and expand its audience.

Leading the studio is industry powerhouse Pat Giles, who created the playbook for developing animated brand characters. Giles has been the creative lead behind some the advertising industry's most recognizable icons, from the latest Green Giant to Lucky the Leprechaun to McGruff the Crime Dog, while also executive producing several popular animated web-series, like "Lili and Torto's Opposite Show" for Sesame Studios. Under Giles' leadership, Holler's characters have already started to move from stickers to stories. Recently, the company started producing animated shorts for its own channels, including Romeon, Simone & Jordanand Epic Tails, which have already amassed millions of views.

According to industry research, the animation industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.7% through 2028. With the increased demand for animated content, Holler Studios sees an opportunity to use its beloved characters to tell stories that shape the world for the better. The company is developing a long form animated content slate based on existing and new IP for both kids and adults, with the principle of "diverse voices telling universal stories'' at its core.

"The powerful thing about animation is that we can use our imaginations to help create the world that we want to see," said Travis Montaque, Founder and CEO of Holler Studios. "Holler Studios is blazing a trail with its focus on increased diversity and inclusion in animation, which will impact the screens, toys, metaverse, and experiences that generations will interact with in the future."

Over the past year Holler Studios has assembled a world-class team of industry veterans who have worked at industry giants like Nickelodeon to Sesame Workshop and who possess deep expertise in 2D & 3D animation, CGI, Puppetry, gaming, and more.

"At Holler Studios we have all the ingredients to make a story unforgettable," said Pat Giles, EVP & Head of Studio. "We have developed hundreds of relatable characters over the years and we can't wait to share their stories with the world."

Doubling down on this mission, Holler Studios has signed with leading talent and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), who will advise on Holler's brand positioning within the marketplace, digital content distribution strategy, monetization models, and a go-to-market approach for selecting IP for exploitation in television, film and beyond. Strategic partnerships, such as one with historian and educator Blair Imani, animating her popular IG series "Smarter In Seconds," have already helped to reach a different audience than animation is typically aimed towards.

"Working with Holler Studios to animate the series has opened up an entirely new realm of possibilities and has already taken "Smarter in Seconds" to new heights," says Imani.

"When we first met with Travis Montaque and the entire Holler Studios team, we were immediately drawn to their vision for telling universal, diverse, and inclusive multicultural stories through the medium of animation and their vision to leverage all digital mediums and platforms to get these stories to the world," said Frank Jung, Co-Head of CAA Digital Media.

Having already worked extensively through its messaging platform with agencies and premium brands, such as Starbucks, McDonalds, Honda, IKEA and many others, Holler Studios has ambitious plans to expand its roster of services and leverage the power of animation to help brands connect with consumers in new and exciting ways. 

Holler Studios is a full-service Animation Production Studio and Creative Agency where diverse voices tell universal stories. Led by a world-class team of industry veterans, Holler Studios specializes in 2D & 3D animation, CGI, Puppetry, gaming, and more. For more information on Holler Studios, please visit hollerstudios.com.

 Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is a leading entertainment and sports agency, with global expertise in filmed and live entertainment, digital media, publishing, sponsorship sales and endorsements, media finance, consumer investing, fashion, trademark licensing, and philanthropy.  Distinguished by its culture of collaboration and exceptional client service, CAA's diverse workforce identifies, innovates, and amplifies opportunities for the people and organizations that shape culture and inspire the world.

The trailblazer of the agency business, CAA was the first to build a sports business, create an investment bank, launch a venture fund, found technology start-up companies, establish a philanthropic arm, build a business in China, and form a brand marketing services division, among other innovations. Named Most Valuable Sports Agency by Forbes for nine consecutive years, CAA represents more than 3,000 of the world's top athletes in football, baseball, basketball, hockey, and soccer, in addition to coaches, on-air broadcasters, and sports personalities and works in the areas of broadcast rights, corporate marketing initiatives, social impact, and sports properties for sales and sponsorship opportunities.  

Founded in 1975, CAA is headquartered in Los Angeles, and has offices in New York, Nashville, Memphis, Chicago, Miami, London, Munich, Geneva, Stockholm, Shanghai, and Beijing, among other locations globally.  For more information, please visit www.caa.com.

SOURCE Holler Studios