Anheuser-Busch Creates In House New Media Studio

From Ad Age:

"The country's largest brewer is launching its own in-house film and TV production company that will make humorous shorts and sitcom-type programs to be broadcast over the internet and to cellphones, according to four people familiar with the matter, and could branch into full-length films.

Marketers' march into content creation has not gone unnoticed by the $5 billion-plus production industry. "Too many marketers view production as a commodity, when the expertise to do it well isn't easily learned," said Matt Miller, president-CEO of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers. "Agencies and marketers have always run into limitation when it comes to the creative product. The expertise and talent suffers."

"Making movies is always a great idea for an alcohol company," said Don Faust Jr., a Miller and Coors distributor based in Houston. "Just look how great it was for the Bronfmans."