Observed Signal · Sep 30, 2026 · Product Launch · Source: Digiday · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Cakes Body Launches In-House Media Studio Cakes Media
Beauty brand Cakes Body, known for its founder-led TikTok virality, has launched its own entertainment company, Cakes Media, to bring brand marketing in-house and operationalize virality. The company grossed $100 million in sales since launching in 2022. Cakes Media aims to create social-first content and owned media for digital and streaming platforms, with a focus on long-form documentary-style episodes repurposed for short-form content. The studio is funded from the brand's top-of-funnel marketing budget. The move reflects a broader trend of brands building in-house studios to earn attention through entertainment rather than traditional advertising.
This represents a shift toward in-house brand studios and owned media strategies, relevant to advertising and brand marketing, but it is a single brand move, not a major industry shift.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Cakes Body launched Cakes Media, an in-house entertainment company, in September 2026.
- The company grossed $100 million in sales in three years since its 2022 launch.
- Cakes hired former Red Bull executive Caley Wildermuth as head of content.
- Cakes Media's first YouTube documentary (57 minutes) gained over 371,600 views.
- TikTok virality created a halo effect improving media efficiency and profitability.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mapped“Cakes joins a running list of brands, including Red Bull Media House......”
“Daryl Giannantonio, chief strategy officer at VML told Digiday......”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Cakes Body Founders Launch Cakes Media Entertainment Division
Cakes, a nipple cover company founded by twin sisters Taylor Capuano and Casey Sarai, is pivoting from social selling to entertainment with the launch of Cakes Media. The new company will produce a feature-length documentary, 'Viral: The New American Dream,' premiering on September 22, 2026, and aims to create long-form series and creator-led content. The documentary, filmed during 2024-2025, chronicles the brand's growth, viral success, and personal loss. Caley Wildermuth, formerly of Red Bull, has joined as head of content, expanding the media ambitions. The strategy focuses on organic social media storytelling and building brand affinity, with plans for further original content and a social-first reality show.
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.
Daily Mail Builds In‑House Creator‑Led Social Network
DMG Media has built an in-house creator-led social publishing operation since launching creator-focused channels in October 2025. The publisher has hired more than two dozen creators on payroll who produce 10–20 original long- and short-form videos daily across verticals such as sport, gaming, entertainment and youth issues. DMG’s NewMedia and Creator Media teams have grown to about 100 people (25–30 producing original content). Creator-led posts average roughly 250,000–300,000 views (some formats 250k–350k), and the publisher reports over 160 million followers across its channels and 6–7 billion monthly video views; its TikTok news account has ~26 million followers. DMG has run branded activations (partners cited include Nationwide Bank, Supercell and Primark) and is tracking metrics like view-through, watch time, engagement, shares and saves to scale monetization.
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