Fizzy water has bubbled into an original workplace sitcom co-produced by Hearst Digital Media’s Cosmopolitan.com and Elizabeth Banks’ digital media company, WhoHaha.
The short-form, scripted comedy web series, “TEMP(orary),” revolves around two young women working at different temp jobs — with each episode strategically integrating the products of the sponsor, Talking Rain Beverage Co.’s Sparkling Ice zero-calorie flavored sparkling waters.
The four-episode “TEMP(orary)” was created and written by Chrissie Fit (“Pitch Perfect 2” and “Pitch Perfect 3”) and Cyrina Fiallo (Disney Channel’s “Good Luck Charlie”). The duo also star in the series, which was directed and executive produced by Kai Collins and Deena Adar (“Cannabis Moms Club”) of Quiet Duke Productions.
Other cast members include Brittany Snow (“Pitch Perfect”), Elizabeth Henstridge (“Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD”), Utkarsh Ambudkar (“The Mindy Project”), Dana Powell (“Modern Family”), and Elizabeth Banks in a voice-over role.
“Our mission at WhoHaha is to create opportunities for funny, female voices, and we’re thrilled to have partnered with both Hearst and Sparkling Ice to bring these great characters to life,” said WhoHaha CEO Luigi Picarazzi, who co-founded the company with Banks.
The two-month deal between the beverage company and Cosmopolitan and WhoHaha is an extension of Sparkling Ice’s integrated marketing campaign that launched earlier this year. WhoHaha took the show concept to Hearst Digital Media, which cut the sponsorship deal with Talking Rain.
“TEMP(orary)” was shot over four days in L.A. According to Picarazzi, the premise for the show didn’t change much with the brand-integration deal. However, the series does incorporate what he termed a “deeper integration” in the second episode, in which Fit and Fiallo’s characters are actually working as temps for the beverage company.
“We didn’t have to sacrifice too much. These situations lent themselves to a brand like Sparkling Ice,” Picarazzi said. “It’s a workplace comedy, and we all have the choice to drink something while we’re at work.”
“TEMP(orary)” launches Monday on Cosmpolitan.com, WhoHaha and YouTube, and also will be featured on the social channels of Cosmo and WhoHaha.
For Talking Rain, launching the sitcom with Cosmopolitan and WhoHaha “was a natural fit,” said chief marketing officer Brian Kuz. “Similar to our campaign, the web series elevates everyday, bland moments through a fun and comical script.”
Watch the full series on YouTube:
Pictured above: Chrissie Fit (left) and Cyrina Fiallo in “TEMP(orary)”
