Tool Signs Participant Entertainment Leader:
The company P
Tool of North America has signed The company P, a Swedish content and design studio that creates participant drama and social entertainment. This genre takes a single story and encourages active viewer participation by utilizing trans-media opportunities, including TV broadcasting, interactive technology, social media, mobile communication and online games. Tool will represent the company and produce projects with its vast digital and production resources, applying the unique participatory entertainment approach to advertising projects.
The company P's games, shows, and content are created in collaboration with their audience following the same basic open philosophy that has led to the success of open-source software programs. Leading industry experts, researchers from game and ICT academia, artists and enthusiasts joined forces to create the company, and the combined strength of their individual influences is reflected in the broad array of work that the studio pushes out.
"Today's entertainment consumers are immersed in an environment in which their day-to-day lives are completely interactive. What they do at The company P is basically fulfill that growing demand for a say in the action by applying familiar concepts of participation with the familiar format of TV and the Internet, essentially creating a new genre," noted Tool EP Brian Latt. "We want to expand this concept into the commercial world, and we think The company P is exactly the right partner to make this happen."
"We have always been impressed with Tool's work," stated Christopher Sandberg, CEO of The company P, "so when we heard that they wanted to get into the interactive game, we were all for a collaboration. With their digital and production resources and our creative team and experience, we should be able to produce some incredible work."
The company P has recently completed a production with Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and is currently in development on interactive entertainment properties with Tim Kring (creator of Heroes). The company P's past work includes the Interactive Emmy and SIME Award-winning production of The Truth About Marika, a participant drams and TV series; Momentum, a techno-occult pervasive game; Outstanding, a participatory exhibition at the Museum of World Culture; scriptwriting and design for Furiae, an episodic dark fantasy RPG for mobile and PC; and XOver TV, an innovative broadcasting format that allows audiences to participate through avatars as studio guests.
For their groundbreaking work in the interactive world, The company P has been recognized with an the AIB in International Media Excellence in 2008, and was nominated for a Prix Europe award in the Emerging Media category. Their team of industry leaders frequently present papers at some of the most important conventions and award shows today, including the Eurovision TV Summit, the NAB Show, the BCWW, and the Interactive Exchange.
"We're always looking to work with innovative interactive storytellers. What attracted us to The company P is they understand how to go beyond the niche of ARG's and tell stories that leverage multiple digital platforms ,but connect with the masses. said Tool Digital EP Dustin Callif. "It's an exciting time for us and we can't wait to work with The company P to create amazing, breakthrough interactive campaigns with our agency clients."
The company P is available for work in Canada through Lunch.
