DumbDumb & Electus Launch New Celebrity Web Series

NEW YORK: Will Arnett and Jason Bateman’s DumbDumb and Ben Silverman’s Electus have teamed up for the new web series Always Open, a celebrity chat show set in the family restaurant Denny’s.

The show is an extension of Denny’s latest campaign, promoting its "America’s diner is always open" platform. Denny’s is positioning itself as a warm and welcoming place where friends and family can get together and "open up." The campaign was developed by Gotham, while Ensemble, the branded entertainment arm of Interpublic Group’s Mediabrands, played a key role in the development of the partnership and series.

The web series is hosted by David Koechner (Anchorman, SNL, The Office) and is shot on premise in a Denny’s booth. The show launches today with Jason Bateman as the first guest. Upcoming interviews include Will Arnett, Sarah Silverman, Amy Poehler, Will Forte and Kristin Bell. Everyone from diners and employees of Denny’s can talk to show guests and interact together. The series will be distributed across CollegeHumor.com, Denny’s.com, DumbDumb.com and will also be available via YouTube, Facebook and other social media platforms.

"We at DumbDumb are excited to be partnering with Denny’s in delivering a talent like Dave Koechner within a format that’s perfectly suited to showcase his unique comedic slant," said Arnett and Bateman. "Going forward, we hope that ‘Always Open’ establishes itself as a natural destination for many of today’s top figures in the entertainment industry. Frankly, we think this show is a grand slamwich."

"For more than 50 years Denny’s has been a place where people come together to enjoy good food and conversation," added Frances Allen, Denny’s chief marketing officer.  "The ‘Always Open’ series utilizes celebrities to draw attention to the kinds of dialogue you’ll overhear all the time at Denny’s—sometimes funny, sometimes heartwarming, but always authentic."

"When we created the ‘always open’ brand platform for Denny’s, we did it with every intention of spreading that message across all media platforms," explained Marty Orzio, the chief creative officer at Gotham. "The partnership with DumbDumb and Electus gives Denny’s the chance to speak to their customers in a fresh, fun way, while reinforcing its new brand positioning."

"Major forward-thinking brands like Denny’s recognize that the traditional advertising model has transformed significantly over the last few years and are embracing new ways of reaching their consumers online," commented Laura Caraccioli-Davis, the executive VP of advertising solutions of Electus. "As one of America’s most iconic brands, we are excited to team up with Denny’s to not only create great content, but to help the brand express its values and personality to a broad audience, and to truly enhance its presence nationwide."