Amplify launches Amplify Originals as creator-owned IP model gains momentum

Creator agency Amplify has launched Amplify Originals, a pilot programme backing creators to develop and own original IP and long-form content, signalling a shift in how brands, platforms and agencies collaborate with creators, moving beyond campaigns to creator-owned entertainment.

The initiative will see Amplify invest in the development and production of new formats, with creators retaining ownership of the underlying IP, a model designed to give creators long-term value in the content they build.

While most creator agencies have traditionally focused on talent management and brand partnerships, few, if any, in Australia are investing in and developing creator-owned IP in this way.

“Amplify Originals is about helping creators shift from appearing in content to owning content,” says Naomi Hannan, Screen Agent at Amplify. “We’re backing bold ideas with the potential to evolve into full-scale productions, giving creators the tools, support and creative infrastructure to bring them to life.”

Creators will pitch original concepts, with selected projects funded and developed into pilot episodes by Amplify.

The move opens up new opportunities for brands to partner with creators at the IP level, rather than through traditional campaign-led collaborations, as demand grows for longer-form, entertainment-led content.

Applications will be reviewed by a cross-industry judging panel, including Sabine Zonderland, Head of Top Creator Partnerships at YouTube, Ben Parkinson, Australian Casting Director and Shivani Maharaj, Chief Creator Officer at WPP Media, alongside Amplify’s in-house executives and creative leads.

Says Maharaj: “At WPP Media, we’ve been talking about the shift towards creator-led entertainment for some time. At SXSW Sydney, we challenged brands with the idea that the next subscription service in Australia could be creator-run, and at the AiMCO Summit, we explored the insight that the next Oscar could be won by a creator. Creativity is increasingly in the hands of creators, and it’s exciting to see their work evolve beyond short-form social into original entertainment and long-form storytelling.”

The program reinforces Amplify’s position at the forefront of the global creator economy, going beyond talent management to empower creators as long-form storytellers and IP owners.

Says Tom Maynard, Co-Founder of Amplify: “Some of the world’s most engaging entertainment formats are now being born directly from creators. This program is about nurturing that creative spark – not just representing talent, but investing in their ideas. It’s a model that unlocks long-term career opportunities for our creators and new, authentic pathways for brands to collaborate.”

Winners will be announced shortly, with production of the selected pilots to follow. The completed productions will then be officially screened later this year.

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