Denny's Takes to the Web With Launch of Celebrity Talk Show 'Always Open'

NEW YORK, March 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Denny's, America's iconic family restaurant, in partnership with Will Arnett and Jason Bateman's digital content and production studio, DumbDumb and Ben Silverman's multimedia studio, Electus, an operating business of IAC (Nasdaq: IACI), announced today the launch of its premier celebrity Web series, "Always Open." The show is an extension of Denny's latest nationwide campaign developed by NY ad agency Gotham and adds depth to the new "America's Diner is always open" platform, allowing even more consumers access to the Denny's experience of a warm and welcoming place where friends and family get together and "open up."  Ensemble, the branded entertainment arm of Interpublic Group's Mediabrands, played a key role in the development of the partnership and series."

Hosted by comedic actor, David Koechner, of Anchorman, SNL and The Office fame, "Always Open" launches its first episode today at www.collegehumor.com/alwaysopen and seats Koechner in a Denny's booth with Jason Bateman.  Also set to grace upcoming episodes are Will Arnett, Sarah Silverman, Amy Poehler, Will Forte and Kristin Bell. All episodes take place on premise in a live, working Denny's restaurant, where Koechner meets up with his comedic celeb cohorts for an anything-goes, 3-minute interview.  Everyone from diners and employees of Denny's to talk show guests will interact together in this entertaining, spontaneous environment, providing further integration of brand and content.  "Always Open" will be distributed across CollegeHumor.com, Denny's.com, DumbDumb.com and will also be accessible via YouTube, Facebook and other social 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 Will Arnett and Jason 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," said Denny's Chief Marketing Officer Frances Allen.  "The 'Always Open' series utilizes celebrities to draw attention to the kinds of dialog you'll overhear all the time at Denny's – sometimes funny, sometimes heartwarming, but always authentic."

The idea for an interview segment was conceived by Gotham Inc. of the Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG).

"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," explains Marty Orzio, 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."

The content, which is created and executive produced by Arnett and Bateman with Denny's serving as a co-producer, utilizes web production and development expertise from leading online content site CollegeHumor.com, part of the Electus studio system, whose original content creations have been viewed over 300 million times with its viewers watching 100 years worth of video content each month.

"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," said Laura Caraccioli-Davis, EVP 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."

The first webisode is currently available with the following two episodes airing on Wednesday, March 23rd and Wednesday, April 6th.

About Denny's

Denny's (Nasdaq: DENN) is America's Largest full-service family restaurant chain, serving classic American food and every day value 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Based in Spartanburg, S.C., Denny's currently operates 1,600 franchised, licensed, and Company-owned restaurants across the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico, Guam, Puerto Rico and New Zealand. For more information, including news releases, franchising opportunities and investor relations, visit www.dennys.com.

About DumbDumb

DumbDumb is a digital content and production studio led by Jason Bateman and Will Arnett. By using their well-known comedic tone and sensibility, DumbDumb creates and produces brand-inspired entertainment content that reaches audiences across all forms of social, digital and traditional media. Their goal is to enhance traditional marketing and advertising activities, and ultimately revolutionize the way advertisers connect with their audiences. With the backing and distribution expertise of Ben Silverman's multimedia entertainment studio, Electus, and IAC, DumbDumb is a valuable strategic and creative resource for brands looking to harness the power of entertainment and humor. For more information about DumbDumb, visit www.DumbDumb.com.

About Electus

Electus is the first integrated multimedia entertainment studio to unite producers, creators, advertisers and distributors under one roof and produce all forms of content for distribution across a variety of platforms around the world. Headed by Ben Silverman, in partnership with IAC [NASDAQ: IACI], the company connects advertisers, distributors and content creators early on in the development process, enabling marketers and advertisers to be a true partner in campaigns and content creation. For more information on Electus, visit www.electus.com.

About Ensemble

Ensemble is the branded entertainment arm of Interpublic Group of Cos. Mediabrands unit. Ensemble develops and executes content solutions that advance the marketing objectives of brands by tapping the power of entertainment to more deeply engage consumers. Ensemble works across all platforms, including digital video, TV, film and music. Through collaborations with the content and production communities, and partnerships with Mediabrands agencies, Ensemble provides full-service capabilities in the development and distribution of original content.

About Gotham

A unit of the Interpublic Group of companies, Gotham Inc. is a full service advertising agency based in New York.  Its 160+ employees service the integrated communication needs of brands across multiple categories. Clients include: Best Western, Chobani, Denny's, Fresh Direct, Lindt, Maybelline, Newman's Own, and Yellowbook.   For more information, visit www.gothaminc.com.

SOURCE Electus