The management team that represents the biggest creator group in the U.K. is appealing to brands and other advertisers. Arcade Media, which is partnered with the London-based septet known as the Sidemen, has launched an agency wing called Arcade Creative.
A press release from Arcade describes the new creative division as “a fully dedicated, creator-first agency” that will help brands reach the Sidemen’s passionate audience of Gen Z fans. Arcade Creative partners will work alongside the Sidemen to ideate and launch campaigns.
Joe Lamb will serve as the Head of Arcade Creative. “Arcade Creative’s role is to formalize and open up the Sidemen’s content inventory to media agency planners/buyers and brands…allowing brands to connect with Gen-Z and youth audiences,” Lamb told Tubefilter in an email. The agency is “establishing the Sidemen as a media buy in the creator publisher space,” Lamb added.
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Arcade has been closely aligned with the Sidemen since the firm’s launch, and the two parties have worked together to diversify the septet’s activity across numerous commercial ventures. Some recent efforts have turned the Sidemen’s widespread influence into a commodity. The recently launched VC firm Upside, for example, is looking to create value for backed businesses by connecting them to the Sidemen’s videomaking operation.
Much of the group’s influence flows through YouTube, where the Sidemen have evolved from a brash, boyish septet to an entertainment empire known for its long-form content. With formats like Sidemen Supermarket Sweep and Inside, the Sidemen have shown that they are capable of producing work that rivals half-hour fare on TV and streaming. Some of those high-concept videos have had sponsorships attached to them — thus demonstrating the marketing potential of the Sidemen.
The group’s work was on display at a recent Sidemen Showcase held in London’s Shoreditch neighborhood. The presentation served as the Sidemen’s contribution to a growing trend of upfront presentations that feature creator-led programming. Now, through Arcade Creative, the group is showing that it belongs in the top tier of YouTube-based producers of premium content — an echelon that also includes acts like MrBeast and Dude Perfect.
If you want to learn what the Sidemen can bring to their brand partners, keep an eye on the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. The promotion for the summer soccer tournament included a pact with the internet’s favorite influencer footballers, and the Sidemen will be poised to stick around in the public eye as the tournament kicks off in the United States.
