Rink Entertainment announces launch of Country Dance Competition/TV Special

April 16th, 2010

We’ve been chomping at the bit to launch Dance America Dance!  Check out our official press release below, and stay tuned for more information in the coming months.

Logo_Print BlackNASHVILLE,  March 30, 2010-  Award winning television producers R.A. Clark (Academy of Country Music Awards/CBS) and James M. Rink (co-producer of the CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock/ABC) announce the creation of Dance America Dance!

Dance America Dance! is a Heartland-focused, ten market, couples dance competition that culminates in a two-hour network television special slated to be held in Nashville in the Fall.

In partnership with branding veteran, Paul Jankowski (Access Brand Strategies), the group outlined their new marketing platform that leverages the massive popularity of country dancing.

The Finals will be featured in a two-hour network television special, with performances by some of today’s top country artists to be announced at a later date.

“We’ve been developing this project for five years and the time is right to bring it to life.  We’ve witnessed the huge resurgence of country dance and see it as a perfect fit for our brand partners,” said Clark.

The Heartland is home to nearly 60% of US consumers and Dance America Dance! connects directly to one of their favorite lifestyle activities.

Rink stated, “Country dance is the most inclusive and popular form of dance in the country with 10 million people dancing in clubs every year.  We’re excited to feature this piece of American culture.”

The competition is slated to begin in September with the Finals taking place in October.  Judges will be comprised of highly respected choreographers, World Champion Country Dancers and country music stars.

“Dance America Dance! was created as an integrated marketing platform for our brand partners to build relationships with the Heartland consumer.  Dancing is a way of life in the Heartland and this competition will find the best of the best,” remarked Jankowski.

The winner receives $100,000 and a slot on the 2011 Dance America Dance! live tour.

Army Wives Gives Back cited as Top 5 Hybrid in BRANDWEEK!

December 15th, 2009

Rink Entertainment-produced Army Wives Gives Back was recently named a Top 5 Hybrid in Brandweek‘s Oct 19th issue.  The honor was given to both the 2-minute and 1-minute versions of the episode sponsored by Yoplait, which ranked #2 and #3, respectively.

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According to Nielsen IAG, the Army Wives Gives Back hybrids were very successful among W18-49 & W25-54, outperforming the Yoplait’s creative cable norms as well as category, genre, and hybrid norms in all key measures: Brand Recall (viewers correctly recalled the Yoplait Brand), Brand Opinion (Yoplait’s Brand Opinion was “greatly/somewhat” improved), Likability (viewers liked the hybrid “a lot/somewhat”), Brand Opinion Link top 2 Box (Yoplait Light’s Brand Opinion was “greatly/somewhat” improved), Likability Linkage (viewers who correctly answered the questions and liked the hybrid “a lot/somewhat”).  Yoplait’s ads that aired adjacent to the hybrids were also successful, performing well among the key measures of Brand Recall, Message recall and Likability vs. Yoplait’s cable norms.

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Yoplait's Hybrids succeed on Lifetime

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Yoplait's Hybrids Succeed on Lifetime

Yoplait's Hybrids Succeed on Lifetime

Watch the latest episode of Army Wives Gives Back on our Brand page!

Exploring the Inspiration behind ArmyWives…

June 22nd, 2009

Lifetime Network’s, ArmyWives, takes on the often unheard and perhaps more endearing perspective of American spouses’ adaptation and survival in times of war—a time of heroism, yet a time of grief. The show’s success is partly driven by its pursuit for deeper understanding of lives affected by war, as it is all too realistic for some.

Rink Entertainment and Lifetime explore and communicate these realities as they honor real life Army wives with the return of ArmyWives Gives Back.  Sergeant Aneana Pearce’s heartfelt story launches the first episode.  Aneana joined the Army after graduating high school, pursuing a mission to help others. Eleven years of service has earned her the affectionate title, “Platoon Mom,” given by her unit.  She’s a mother to all, including her own three children, which she’s raised as a single mom.  Aneana’s ambitions have driven her to continue higher education.  But while her motivations are admirable, the cost of textbooks for her major have become her biggest setback.  Watch as Aneana gets a chance to meet one of the stars from ArmyWives, attain a star-like pampering, and receive a surprise gift from MaryKay to support her dream of being a school counselor.

ArmyWives Gives Back aired Sunday, June 21st during ArmyWives commercial breaks.  If you missed it on TV, mylifetime.com will be posting the ArmyWives Gives Back vignettes for easy access.

ArmyWives airs on Sundays at 10pm et/pt.

“Get the Look” of Your Favorite ArmyWives Characters

June 10th, 2009

Rink Entertainment continues to pave the way in Branded Entertainment, and people are noticing. Check out special mention made in the June 8th Cynopsis Digital.

June 7th marked the third season premiere of ArmyWives on Lifetime Television Network. If your not hooked already, Lifetime, MaryKay and Rink Entertainment have teamed up to make switching channels during commercial breaks even less desirable with ArmyWives: Get the Look vignettes. This micro series stars independent celebrity makeup artist Ashunta Sheriff (Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Hillary Duff, among others), as she breaks it down for Lifetime viewers, sharing essential makeup techniques and products inspired by the appearances of a few ArmyWives character favorites. Each star exhibits a unique persona. Stay tuned for the one you admire most, steal professional tips, and achieve the change you’ve been looking for.

Missed the look? MaryKay is posting each new star-like look online as it airs on Lifetime. Catch up on full episodes of ArmyWives at myLifetime.com.

Ashunta Sherriff and Jim Rink

Attention all Brands, Labels, and Artists!

April 11th, 2009

Remember the days when we were formally introduced to new recording artists via newly released singles heard on the radio and mainstream media interviews? Such introductions still occur, but linking new artists to brands is becoming a viable new route to breaking artists, while providing valuable marketing benefits to corresponding brands.

The truth is, these strategic partnerships between recording artists and brands are working! As the music industry evolves, the marketplace will see more and more of these relationships, which were once thought of as ‘selling out.’ Take a look at this interesting article from Ad Age, which really puts things into perspective. Click HERE to read.

Whitney Duncan: The Newest Addition to Red Roof Loves Country

February 23rd, 2009

l_596f2d33d4d655e5a27fa5762c4f01e4Rink Entertainment is celebrating its newest addition to the Red Roof Loves Country Campaign: Warner Bros. recording artist Whitney Duncan!  With sweet melodies and catchy lyrics, this blonde bombshell is on her way to becoming one of country’ music’s biggest Stars. On Monday, March 2nd, Rink Entertainment will kickoff this new partnership by videotaping Whitney’s short film featuring her song, “Bed that You Made.” Stay tuned to see the completed short film, which will be featured on Redrooflovescountry.com and as teaser commercial on GAC. Learn more about Whitney at Whitneyduncan.com and be sure to check out her music at MySpace.com/whitneyduncanmusic.

Rink Entertainment in the New York Times!

January 19th, 2009

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Rink Branded Entertainment got a big shout-out in the NY Times for it’s role in the “Red Roof Loves Country” campaign.  Click HERE to read all about it and listen to featured messages for the campaign.  Last but not least, don’t forget to watch Phil Vassar and Little Big Town’s short films on our BRAND page!

New Videos > Branded Entertainment

January 9th, 2009

Check out the Branded Entertainment page for 2 new Episodes of “Army Wives Gives Back”!

Welcome To Our New Blog!

January 9th, 2009

We’ve set up a new blog! Stay tuned for more news and updates from your favorite video production folks!