The IKEA Web Series "EASY TO ASSEMBLE" Launches Third Acclaimed Season

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- After two and a half successful seasons, the IKEA produced award-winning web series EASY TO ASSEMBLE will launch its highly anticipated third season "Finding North" on October 18th, on MY DAMN CHANNEL www.MyDamnChannel.com/EasyToAssemble and EASYTOASSEMBLESERIES.com.

The show, written and produced by actress Illeana Douglas, has averaged over 10 million views and counting on sites like MY DAMN CHANNEL, You Tube, Koldcast, Hulu and IKEA Fans.com, becoming one of the most successful web series of all time, and a signal of how producing branded entertainment can pay off for marketers in providing unique ways for ad dollars to create nontraditional forms of programming as a way to attract consumers.  For IKEA, the series is a fun way for IKEA to connect and communicate with their customers, in a medium that they like to use.  Advertising Age awarded EASY TO ASSEMBLE one of the top five "Best Branded Deals" of 2010 and called it the most successful branded series of all time.'  The EASY TO ASSEMBLE Finding North Soundtrack will be released worldwide on Oct 18th, 2011 and will be the FIRST soundtrack to feature music from an award-winning web series.  

"The web series was a perfect way for us to connect with our customers in a format that they frequent enjoy and use," said Alia Kemet, US Media Manager. "EASY TO ASSEMBLE invites our customers to take a humorous 'behind the scenes' look at our stores and the culture of IKEA; a fun place to shop AND work."

Rob Barnett, Founder/CEO of My Damn Channel says, "Illeana Douglas and IKEA set the standard for the best in branded entertainment.  We're impressed and inspired when brands embrace artists and empower them to create great, original stories that we can distribute to millions of fans."

Each season of EASY TO ASSEMBLE is produced much like an independent film through Douglas' production company, Eleven Minutes Entertainment and Illeanarama, Transmedia.  The plot of the first two and half seasons involves Illeana trying to get away from show business and lead a 'normal' life by working at her local IKEA store.  She soon finds she can't escape Hollywood though, when fellow actress Justine Bateman is hired to add some show business sparkle and starts a talk show called 'Forty and Bitter' on the main floor of IKEA.  Douglas is next forced to compete for 'Coworker of the Year' against Justine or risk coworker downsizing.  She triumphs and this leads to the entire crew being flown to Sweden for her to collect her award and Justine to launch her talk show internationally.  Season three's "Finding North" picks up with the gang in Sweden going on a road-trip/journey through the country that by the end have them finding out who they are and what they are looking for.

The series has attracted a cornucopia of stars, including Jeff Goldblum, Craig Bierko, Patricia Heaton, Fred Willard, Corey Feldman, Tom Arnold, Kevin Pollak, Cheri Oteri, Tim Meadows, David Henrie, Jane Lynch, Ricki Lake, Justine Bateman, and Ed Begley Jr., among many more.

In recognition of its tremendous contribution to web-based entertainment, EASY TO ASSEMBLE 2010 was nominated for seven "Streamy" awards winning "Best Ensemble Cast" and "Best Product Integration."  It also picked up a nomination for "Best Individual Performance" for Douglas at the 14th Annual Webby Awards, and won "Best Branded Content" and "Best Comedy Episode" for its spin-off series SPARHUSEN.  Additionally, Illeana received the ITV Fest 2010 Innovator Award and the 2010 "Best Online Performance Award" from the 2010 Banff World TV Fest.  EASY TO ASSEMBLE and IKEA were also honored to receive the 2010 NATPE 'Digital Luminary Award."

"From the beginning IKEA agreed that nothing should get in the way of the entertainment value and throughout the 2 and a half seasons they trusted me to weave the story lines that fans of the show have come to love," says Douglas.  "What started out as an experiment is now emerging as the new independent film and that is just where I want to stay."

IKEA has a unique corporate culture and long standing history of doing things in a fun and different way, which lends themselves perfectly to EASY TO ASSEMBLE and its tongue-in-check look into the world of the world's largest home furnishings company.

ABOUT IKEA

IKEA strives to be 'The Life Improvement Store,' and since its 1943 founding in Sweden, has offered home furnishings of good design and function, at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. There are currently more than 320 IKEA stores in 39 countries, including 38 in the U.S. IKEA, the world's leading home furnishings company, incorporates sustainable efforts into day-to-day business and supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information, go to IKEA-USA.com.

ABOUT MY DAMN CHANNEL

My Damn Channel is an entertainment studio and distributor of premium original programming by established and emerging talent from film, TV, and the Internet.  The company has launched successful comedy series including Wainy Days, Gigi: Almost American, Daily Grace, Horrible People and You Suck at Photoshop.  The My Damn Channel Distribution Network reaches over 50 million unique visitors monthly.  We co-create branded entertainment and custom, targeted distribution campaigns for companies like Subway, IKEA, IFC Adult Swim, PUMA, Trident, Southern Comfort, and Fiat.  The My Damn Channel Blog Network and the My Damn Channel Talent Network launched in July 2011.

SOURCE EASY TO ASSEMBLE