Comic-Con Fans Tune in to Meet the 'Wannabe' Press and the Warped Minds Behind New...

Comic-Con Fans Tune in to Meet the 'Wannabe' Press and the Warped Minds Behind
New Animated Laffer
Sierra Mist and Comedian Adam de la Pena Unveil New Animated Web Series On the
Bubble

SAN DIEGO, July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- A new source for news and entertainment
hits the web today thanks to an irreverent group of tech-savvy kids from
Middle Town Community College (http://www.middletowncommunitycollege.com/) and
the new show's creators, Sierra Mist and Comedy Central alum, Adam de la Pena.
At a Comic-Con panel discussion on Friday, July 25, Sierra Mist, the
lemon-lime soft drink brand known for its comedic spirit, will premiere its
first original web series, On the Bubble. The new animated series, which
launches a new episode each Wednesday on http://www.OnTheBubbleNews.com, takes
a cheeky, yet refreshing look at current news through the eyes of five
"wannabe" reporters from fictional Middle Town Community College.
"We essentially asked the question, 'what if we could combine the
cross-cultural appeal of animated shows such as Family Guy and South Park,
with the idea of developing an alternative news source such as The Daily Show
or certain blogs?'" said Frank Cooper, VP of portfolio brands, Pepsi-Cola
North America. "Adam immediately understood the power of the idea and pulled
together an amazing team to bring On the Bubble to life."
On the Bubble is Sierra Mist's latest venture in collaborating with
creative talent who seek to push the boundaries of convention and explore new
opportunities across a variety of platforms. Working with de la Pena and the
producers at medium(TM), an entertainment content studio and sister company to
Levity Entertainment, the brand enlisted a team of animation and comedy
industry professionals such as Worldwide Biggies CEO Albie Hecht, Emmy-winning
animation director Mark Salisbury and South Park writer Glasgow Phillips,
among others, to produce the show.
"This is first-rate secondhand news," said de la Pena. "It has always
been clear to me that Sierra Mist is the best brand in the history of the
universe and the fact that they are doing this show proves that I am right."
On the Bubble is based on a group of tech-savvy college kids who, despite
having no budget and few resources, create an online news program from their
dorm room that appears to be falling apart at the seams. While the episodic
series will offer satirical commentary on real news, the scripts will mostly
focus on the five anchors' interaction with one another during 2-3 minute
segments shamelessly titled "Tool Bag of the Week," "What the Hell?!" and "My
Bad." Characters and cast include:
-- Andrea Valverde, On the Bubble's most professional and committed lead
anchor voiced by Liz Loza
-- Luke Hastings, the resident "slacker" and co-anchor played by Adam de
la Pena
-- Kevin Mac, the slick, ego-centric co-anchor played by animation voice
veteran Andy Sipes
-- Gordo Roberts, the self-proclaimed entertainment "expert" voiced by
Aqua Teen Hunger Force's Dana Snyder
-- Clyde Evans, On the Bubble's professional skater and extreme sports
correspondent, played by stand-up and sketch comedy veteran Jordan Black
To launch the web series across multiple online platforms, Sierra Mist
drew expertise from a cross-functional agency team which included digital
shop, Tribal DDB, and digital strategy company, Undercurrent.
On the Bubble's official launch will take place during an open panel
discussion on Friday, July 25 at Comic-Con San Diego between 2:00 p.m. - 3:00
p.m. in room 7AB. At this time, de la Pena will introduce the cast and the
animation team behind the show as well as reveal a special, one-time-only On
the Bubble screening produced exclusively for Comic-Con fans.
Sierra Mist executives will also be on the panel to shed light on the new
wave of brand-produced entertainment and discuss the decision to be the main
driver behind this project. Additionally, with the number of Hollywood show
pitches increasing each year, the Q & A portion of the panel will offer
aspiring animators and comedic content creators insightful tips on getting
their ideas green lit by major brands eager to discover and invest in
up-and-coming talent.
For new On the Bubble episodes, tune in each Wednesday at
www.OnTheBubbleNews.com. For more information about Comic-Con registration,
please visit www.comic-con.org.
About Sierra Mist
Sierra Mist is a product of Purchase, N.Y.-based Pepsi-Cola North America
(www.pepsi.com), the refreshment beverage unit of PepsiCo, Inc., in the United
States and Canada. Its U.S. brands include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Aquafina,
Sierra Mist, IZZE, SoBe, Mug, Tava, Tropicana Twister Soda, Tropicana Juice
Drinks, Dole and Ocean Spray single-serve juices. The company also makes and
markets North America's best-selling ready-to-drink iced teas and coffees,
respectively, via joint ventures with Lipton and Starbucks. For more
information, visit www.pepsiproductfacts.com
About medium(TM)
medium(TM) is a new type of content development studio designed to assist
America's leading brands in creating original entertainment concepts to
capture the attention of their core audience. medium(TM) bridges the
disciplines of advertising, branding and entertainment to deliver highly
relevant original content, targeted to specific segments, across multiple
platforms. The company's award-winning creative team staffs a full-service
production house that manages all parts of the content development process
from research to production to distribution. "At medium(TM), we allow content
to happen - where the Message Becomes the medium(TM)." For more information
on medium(TM), please contact 310.417.4888.
About Worldwide Biggies
Worldwide Biggies Inc., led by CEO Albie Hecht, is a new digital
entertainment studio creating web-based intellectual properties for kids,
families and young adults that are designed for additional distribution in the
film, TV and licensing arenas. Worldwide Biggies launched its first
multi-platform hit on Nickelodeon and Nick.com last year with The Naked
Brothers Band and has produced the Video Game Awards on Spike TV, which Hecht
created during his tenure as the network's president. Last year, Worldwide
Biggies also debuted Worldwide Fido (www.worldwidefido.com) a website
dedicated to user-submitted videos of dogs and partnered with TMZ.com on Star
vs. Star (www.starvsstar.com) an online celebrity fan community that features
a celebrity fantasy league, a weekly video webcast and amazing Star Card
artwork. Worldwide Biggies' affiliated non-profit Shine Global was nominated
for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary Feature category this year for
War/Dance, a documentary set against the backdrop of Uganda's 20 year civil
war. Most recently Biggies launched The Princess Bride Game
(www.princessbridegame.com), the first-ever downloadable video game based on
the classic film. More information go to www.wwbiggies.com
Disclaimer
On the Bubble is a creative work of comedy, parody, and critical
commentary on current events and public figures. Original characters, names
and places are fictitious and do not depict real persons, places or events.
Comedic references or other opinions expressed about actual persons, products,
or works of any kind are for entertainment and commentary purposes only and do
not reflect any sponsorship, endorsement, affiliation or approval whatsoever
by any of those actual persons, products or works of On the Bubble, nor of any
of the content presented in On the Bubble, nor of any of On the Bubble's
sponsors or affiliates.
Press Contacts:
Sierra Mist
Michelle Naughton, Pepsi-Cola North America, 914.253.2950,
michelle.naughton@pepsi.com

Edelman on behalf of Sierra Mist/On the Bubble
Karina Carretero, Edelman, 323.202.1899, Karina.Carretero@edelman.com
Grace Chang, Edelman, 323.202.1422, Grace.Chang@edelman.com

SOURCE OnTheBubbleNews.com

Michelle Naughton, Pepsi-Cola North America, +1-914-253-2950,
michelle.naughton@pepsi.com, for Sierra Mist; or Karina Carretero,
+1-323-202-1899, Karina.Carretero@edelman.com, or Grace Chang,
+1-323-202-1422, Grace.Chang@edelman.com, both of Edelman, for Sierra Mist/On
the Bubble