Innocean launches content studio to build on 'Night Fishing' success

Innocean is assembling a team of content specialists to launch a dedicated "content studio" and move into full-scale film production.

The push builds on the success of "Night Fishing," a short film the agency produced with Hyundai Motor last year, and marks Innocean's plan to extend its brand marketing business into cinematic content. The first feature is set to premiere next summer, either in theaters or on a global streaming platform.

Innocean announced Tuesday that it will unveil "Cinema by Brand" in October alongside the Asia Contents & Film Market (ACFM), Asia's largest content market, held during the Busan International Film Festival.

Cinema by Brand is a business platform that connects brands with creators around the world to develop and produce original content. Innocean plans to hold the initiative annually starting this year, building it into a sustainable long-term business.

Once a brand is selected for a film project, Innocean will solicit proposals from creators worldwide, choose a final concept and begin production. Because cinematic quality will be the central focus from the development stage, the company believes the platform will open new possibilities for brand communication.

Submitted proposals will be reviewed by a panel of industry experts drawn from Innocean, participating brands, ACFM and the Producers Guild of Korea, which will select the final project.

Innocean won the Grand Prix — the top honor at the 2025 Cannes Lions — as well as the Best Editing Award at the Fantasia International Film Festival for "Night Fishing," a 13-minute short featuring actor Son Suk-ku and Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 5. The film drew 46,000 theatergoers in South Korea through the bold move of charging just 1,000 won ($0.72) per ticket.

The film generated wide attention at home and abroad for its innovative approach — the entire story unfolds through footage captured by cameras mounted inside the car — and its distinctive storytelling. It blurred the line between advertising and cinema, showing that a brand can be consumed as entertainment content.

Innocean plans to combine its brand communication and creative capabilities with the filmmaking and production ecosystem to uncover new opportunities in content and intellectual property businesses.

The newly established content studio will pursue IP expansion beyond Cinema by Brand, covering broadcasting, drama series, performances, exhibitions, YouTube and influencer management.

"Starting with Cinema by Brand, we plan to continuously expand our creative capabilities beyond the boundaries of advertising and marketing into film, entertainment, content and IP," Innocean CEO Kim Jeong-a said. "In particular, we will build a unique business structure that connects brands, creators and the film industry to uncover new growth opportunities."