Roku will look to woo brands during this year's spring ad haggle by helping them create ads tailored specificallt to the streaming environment with the launch of a new brand studio. 

“There’s a gap where we know marketers are spending more than $13 billion on content but not doing that with streaming first in mind,” says Dan Robbins, VP, ad marketing, Roku. Robbins says the studio will take advantage of the trend in advertisers moving from linear TV to streaming, one that closely mirrors changing consumer habits.

One of the things that attracts brands to streaming platforms is the opportunity to think beyond the 30-second spot that has long dominated traditional linear TV advertising. While there has been momentum around evolving the ad formats on streaming with things like pause and binge ads, brands often use the same creative on both. That's where Roku is looking to shake things up. 

Similarly, Hulu debuted its content studio, Greenhouse, in 2019, which is led by ad vet Scott Donaton. 

In launching the studio, Roku completes an agreement with the Funny Or Die branded entertainment division in which a number of the company's branded content team members will join Roku. 

Roku says advertising content produced by the studio is “open to distributing outside of Roku,” but that its focus will remain on serving Roku customers. “There's an audience primed and ready for this content,” says Robbins. 

Roku declined to reveal aunch partners, but said the studio has done work in the past with supermarket chain Kroger’s, ridesharing service Lyft and fast food giant Wendy’s. Roku says it will announce additional details, partners and projects in May during its presentation at the IAB NewFronts.