Observed Signal · Apr 6, 2026 · Industry Trend · Source: Adweek · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Brands Build In‑House Studios for Hollywood‑Caliber Content
Brand entertainment—brands producing original, long-form content that can sit alongside movies and TV—has moved from aspiration to action. Several major brands are establishing in-house production studios to create cinematic-quality content: Nike (Waffle Iron Entertainment) and LVMH (22 Montaigne Entertainment) are cited examples, and Dick’s Sporting Goods launched Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios, which debuted the documentary Summer of ’94 at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival. The trend reflects brands acting more like publishers or studios, investing in owned content as a marketing channel and creative asset rather than relying solely on traditional advertising placements.
Growing trend of brands building in-house studios changes content production dynamics and blurs lines between advertisers and publishers; notable but not platform-level or regulatory change.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Brands are increasingly creating original, Hollywood-caliber content via in-house production studios.
- Nike’s Waffle Iron Entertainment and LVMH’s 22 Montaigne Entertainment are named examples.
- Dick’s Sporting Goods launched Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios and debuted the documentary Summer of ’94 at SXSW Film & TV Festival.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Brands Launch In‑House Studios, Premiere Films at SXSW
At SXSW Film & TV Festival, retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods’ in‑house entertainment studio, Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios, made its festival debut with Summer of ’94, a documentary about the U.S. men’s national team’s journey to the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The film premiered alongside entries from established independent studios and streamers such as Netflix and A24. Dick’s launched Cookie Jar & A Dream Studios last year. The article also notes Under Armour recently unveiled its own content studio, Lab96 — part of a broader trend of consumer brands creating in‑house entertainment studios and producing original long‑form content.
Brands Relearn: Entertain First, Advertise Second
Brands including SharkNinja, Gap, Mattel, LVMH and Arsenal are shifting from short-term performance advertising toward entertainment-led content, building episodic series, in-house studios, and longer creator relationships. The piece cites Sprout Social’s 2026 content strategy report showing episodic series as marketers’ top social priority, influencer data indicating most brand-creator deals are short-lived (many one-offs), and measurement studies from Dentsu and others that stress voluntary attention and diminishing returns after ~20 seconds. Contributors and consultants quoted warn that decades of optimization for clicks has devalued creative work and that sustained, owned content approaches compound brand effects over time.
Beauty Brands Become Entertainment Content Creators
Beauty brands are increasingly creating entertainment-style content and embedding products into entertainment to engage audiences, especially Gen Z. Examples include Innisfree’s comedic street interviews with Tommy Brennan, E.l.f. Cosmetics’ nearly 10-minute true-crime mockumentary starring Phoebe Dynevor, and Rare Beauty’s campaign tied to a TV character. Agencies and creator-marketing firms say platform algorithms reward serialized, watchable content, prompting brands to own entertainment production or integrate into TV and streaming storylines. L’Oréal Group and its brands have leaned into product placements in hit shows, though heavy-handed placement can risk viewer backlash.
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