Former Disney Exec Invests in The Hyperfactory’s New Division

LOS ANGELES, October 30: Former Disney and Paramount
executive Rich Frank has made a significant investment in the launch of mobile
advertising company The Hyperfactory’s new entertainment division.

The new division will leverage the power and reach of mobile
to support record labels, film and TV studios and other media companies.

Industry veteran Frank, a former president of Walt Disney
Studios and of Paramount Television Group, was most recently the chairman of
The Firm, a Hollywood talent management company. Geoff Ross, the founder of 42
Below vodka; Paul Frank, the head of Firm TV, and Grant Baker, the former
chairman of 42 Below vodka, have also contributed to the round of financing for
the official launch of the new entertainment division. Rich Frank and Grant
Baker will join The Hyperfactory’s board of directors.

Rich Frank and the other investors will leverage their
expertise in content and marketing to generate new entertainment clients for
the company. The Hyperfactory will, in turn, bring its mobile expertise to the
under-served entertainment community to create strategies and campaigns for top
artists and properties that build relationships with consumers and support new
films, TV shows, artist and album releases, concert tours, promotions and more.

The Hyperfactory’s first collaboration with Paul Frank and
The Firm resulted in the successful mobile campaign for Korn’s Family Values
Tour. This campaign included a unique blend of mobile promotions, integration
on big screens, text message voting, content downloads and mobile sweepstakes.

The company already has a track record in executing
entertainment-led mobile campaigns, including ones for Disneyland Hong Kong;
MGM’s hit horror remake Halloween;
recording artist Chingy; Chinese superstar Jay Chau; and Nickelodeon Asia
Pacific.

Founded in 2000, The Hyperfactory creates, executes and
analyzes long-term mobile strategies for brands and agencies, regardless of the
technology. Clients have included Toyota, Motorola, Vodafone and Coke. The
Hyperfactory has a U.S. headquarters in New York, International headquarters in
Auckland and sales and operations offices in Los Angeles, Shanghai and Hong
Kong and India.

“I made this investment because The Hyperfactory is the best
in this business and has a pioneering history of some of the most creative
mobile advertising and branded entertainment campaigns in the world for giants
such as Toyota, Coca Cola and Motorola,” said Rich Frank. “Grant, Geoff and I
helped transform the New Zealand-based vodka brand 42 Below into a highly
successful global consumer brand that ultimately sold to Bacardi. We see the
same opportunities with The Hyperfactory, and their already proven work with
major brands gives them the potential to change the game in media and
entertainment at a time when the industry must learn to leverage the power of
the mobile phone to reach consumers. The mobile phone will become the
consumer’s window to the world, just as the computer has been over the past
decade. Everyday we see more uses of content specifically for mobile, and
Derek’s experience of working with both brands and content for the ‘third’ screen
is unique and exceptional.”

—By Irene Lew