Meet Eva Nosidam—the new production agency from Gary Vaynerchuk

This week, Gary Vaynerchuk, founder of VaynerMedia and NFT platform VeeFriends, announced a new addition to his growing VaynerX network: Eva Nosidam Productions. Billed as a full-service and “future-forward” production shop, it’s an unexpected addition to the VaynerX portfolio, focusing on sophisticated, large-scale productions and hyper-specialized craft, led by Chief Production Officer Maya Brewster-Dorian, a seasoned production vet who has worked at some of the industry’s top production companies including Radical Media and Anonymous Content as well as agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi and J.Walter Thompson. Before joining VaynerX, she founded her own company, Network Réseau. There, she specialized in facilitating accessible production and talent resources for brands, leading projects that ranged from original content to immersive experiences to non-traditional media projects. The company’s name, Eva Nosidam, Madison Ave spelled backwards, is a nod to the type of work that it intends to produce. “The name is the punchline—we…intend to turn the industry on its head by rejecting yesterday’s Madison Avenue approach to advertising and unlocking what’s going on in culture for our clients,” said Vaynerchuk in a statement. “As a modern storytelling and production company, Eva Nosidam Productions will create content that people actually want to watch." Eva Nosidam will work with VaynerX entities as well as outside clients and agencies. The announcement comes on the heels of new wins for the VaynerMedia agency for brands like Durex and Tinder. Subscribe to Ad Age now for the latest industry news and analysis. In 2017, Vaynerchuk opened a production studio very different from Eva Nosidam, simply called Vayner Productions. Brewster-Dorian described the previous iteration as “very much an in-house studio,” adding that ambitions for the Vayner production arm had always been to branch further into the entertainment space. Eva Nosidam opened under the radar in May, and since then, Brewster-Dorian said the work has aligned more closely with Vaynerchuck’s original vision. She recalled his words from an early meeting: “I’m building an advertising studio of the future ... that doesn’t make ads.” That approach is right up Brewster-Dorian’s alley, given her years of experience on sophisticated commercial and branded entertainment productions at other production shops and out of her company Network Réseau. The non-ad ads that Brewster-Dorian plans to make at Eva Nosidam will span mini-documentaries, music videos, podcasts, augmented and virtual reality, events, guerrilla marketing and installations. She has plans to make branded shows with eight episodes per season. “It's a different lens when you have somebody who is a maker at heart and has tentacles within every type of format of artists and maker,” said Brewster-Dorian of her revamp of the production studio. Eva Nosidam’s network of talent won’t look like that of a typical production company. Rather than fighting to retain directors or talent on a roster, the studio will seek out partnerships relevant to each project. Brewster-Dorian lists screenwriters, programmers, music video directors and Broadway production designers—artists that can be recruited to share their expertise where it’s needed. “Eva is treated like a Hollywood model,” Brewster-Dorian said. “The whole nature is: what's the new MGM of the future? The new MGM of the future is going to have brands attached to it.” Don’t miss the latest news. Sign up for Ad Age newsletters here. On the studio’s new website are examples of these Hollywood-model spots that Brewster-Dorian worked on and that break the typical 30- or 60-second format. An ad for fried chicken chain Bojangles is a music video featuring hip-hop artist Tia Corrine. “Bo Time” transforms an everyday fast food location into a neon-colored party as the musician raps branded lyrics about poultry, drive-thrus and sweet tea. “Florida Man,” an ad for Kin Insurance, is a seven-minute faux documentary on the infamous headline-maker. Surviving run-ins with falling coconuts, bird poop, dehydration and, of course, alligators, the Florida Man is always glad to have the support of his insurance company. The hilarious video features minimal branding, focusing more on comedic storytelling rather than disruptive promotion. The next step is volume. Brewster-Dorian said Eva Nosidam’s key is “taking the Vayner volume model—quick, fast—and putting the entertainment lens on it.” She said the reason she was inspired to create Network Réseau nearly seven years ago was to address inefficiencies in the commercial production process. That’s the mindset that will fuel her leadership at Eva Nosidam, helped by the studio’s decked-out facilities. Located in Long Island City, New York, the company has full access to four fully-equipped sound stages, two black box theaters and event spaces to host music drops and video launches. Many may be surprised at the absence of a “Vayner” prefix in the company’s name, but it’s not totally absent from its branding. Eva Nosidam’s logo, which features animated variants that swoop and swirl around the screen before settling into the shape of a woman cradling a child, is an homage to the founder’s mother, Tamara Vaynerchuk. “Gary’s mom was an inspiration and it sounds like a female's name, Eva,” said Brewster-Dorian. Now that Eva Nosidam has officially debuted, Brewster-Dorian hopes brands will trust her vision of the future and that her work will instill a sense of curiosity within the industry. “Our goal is not to compete with commercial production companies,” said Brewster-Dorian. “Our goal is to play in a space that the majority of them are not playing in.” Behind the rankings: Ad Age World's Largest Advertisers 2021

Meet Eva Nosidam—the new production agency from Gary Vaynerchuk

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