Earlier this year, AICP and ANA co-presented Frame & Focus: Accelerating Production Partnerships — the first in a new series of joint educational seminars — and the full session recordings are now available for members to view on aicp.com.*
The three-hour Zoom event brought together brand marketers, production executives, legal experts, and industry leaders to examine a question that's increasingly top of mind: how can marketers build more direct, strategic relationships with production and post companies — and what does that look like in practice?
AICP President & CEO Matt Miller and ANA SVP Greg Wright opened by framing the central shift underway: the old transactional model is giving way to something more collaborative, and ultimately more valuable for brands and producers alike. Marketing consultant Elizabeth Talerman of The Nucleus Group shared key findings from the AICP-commissioned study Craft & Commerce: Opportunities for Marketing in the Motion Image, highlighting how direct collaboration models are helping brands protect creative integrity while unlocking real operational efficiencies.
From there, the seminar dove into real-world case studies. The Allstate team — including Chief Creative Officer David Hernandez and production partners from RSA Films, Cutters Studios, and Slang Music — walked through the making of "Action Hero," a spot in the long-running "Mayhem" campaign, and the direct creative collaboration that brought it to life. Stellantis offered a decade-long blueprint for decoupling, describing how a rotating roster of production partners has delivered faster turnarounds and greater transparency over time.
A panel on the hybrid production model featured brand-side voices from Amazon, Experian, and Wolverine Worldwide discussing how to build internal structures that support flexible, agile production ecosystems. The day wrapped with attorneys Jeffrey Greenbaum of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz and Roberta Wolff offering a practical look at the legal frameworks needed to make direct production partnerships work — and work safely.
AICP members can now watch all session recordings on-demand at aicp.com.* This is essential viewing for anyone thinking about the future of brand-to-production relationships.
*You will need your Member Company Code to access this protected content on our website. Please email Gabriela Romero at gabrielar@aicp.com if you require assistance with your Member Company Code.