Two of the entertainment industry's most experienced and respected public relations practitioners, Stu Zakim, founder of New York City-based Bridge Strategic Communications, and Dan Harary, founder of Beverly Hills, CA-based Asbury PR Agency, have formed a strategic alliance. The two agency owners have joined forces to offer media and entertainment industry clients, across all sectors, full-service public relations, promotional, social media, and marketing services, on a national basis.
The new joint venture will specialize in handling PR and promotions for new films, TV programs, live acts and product launches, brand repositioning, integrated marketing programs, strategic media relations, development and implementation of corporate communications programs, and crisis communications for clients from all entertainment and media sectors. These will include film, television, music, technology, gaming, advertising, theme parks, publishing and corporate.
The first project to be handled through this new alliance is the national promotion for the Fall U.S. Tour of the popular singing group "Under the Streetlamp." Comprised of four leading cast members from the hit Broadway musical "Jersey Boys," "Under the Streetlamp" performs classic hit songs from the American Radio Songbook to sold-out audiences from coast to coast.
Zakim and Harary, both alumni of Boston University's College of Communications, met as under-
graduates there during the late 1970s. In addition to his role within the new joint venture, each will also continue to maintain his own individual PR agency operation.
"Both of us are very excited to be finally working together," said Zakim. "I've known Dan for a long time and have admired the way he's built up his agency. His approach to working with clients is very similar to mine. Our skills and experience are complimentary and extensive, with his expertise based from a West Coast point of view, and mine from the East Coast. We felt the timing was right for us to explore this new alliance and to offer new clients our combined decades of knowledge. This is going to be a lot of fun!"
Adds Harary, "Stu Zakim helped me get my very first job in the public relations industry at Columbia Pictures in NYC back in early 1980. He and I have remained friends and professional colleagues for over 35 years now. While he was busy conquering the media world in Manhattan, I've spent the past three decades establishing myself on the West Coast. Between us, we've handled PR campaigns for quite literally every conceivable type of company, project, person, program and/or product imaginable. We are now actively seeking new clients for whom we can provide a powerful and comprehensive, national PR agency experience."
About STU ZAKIM & BRIDGE STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
Stu Zakim is the President & Founder of Bridge Strategic Communications, an agency he founded in 2009. Zakim is a veteran corporate communications and marketing professional with senior level experience across the entertainment and media sectors, having specialized in brand repositioning and crisis communications.
Since its formation, Bridge Strategic Communications has represented such clients as You On Demand, MPI Media Group, The Association of Magazine Media, NYLON Magazine, Avid Life Media Group Berman Means Business, the documentary "Manzanar Fishing Club," the Montclair Film Festival, Rafka Fine Jewelry, and the Marijuana Business Association (MJBA).
One of Bridge Communications' most notable campaigns has been the launch of "You On Demand," a PPV/VOD platform in China, which Bridge represented while that company made deals with major studios including Warner Bros., Disney, Universal, Paramount, Lionsgate and others. Another successful Bridge PR campaign was the launch of MPI Media Group's "MPI Pictures" division. Quite recently, Zakim arranged for Bridge's client, the CEO of the MJBA, to be interviewed by national media when Washington State's law, allowing the recreational use of marijuana, went into effect during July, 2014
Prior to the launch of Bridge Communications, Zakim held in-house positions with some of the best-known brands in film, magazines and television. He has provided counsel to a variety of iconic media leaders, including Jann Wenner, Bonnie Fuller, Christie Hefner, David Pecker, and their publications – Rolling Stone, Playboy, Us Weekly, Shape and Star Magazine, among others.
While holding executive PR positions in-house with Columbia Pictures, Universal Pictures and Showtime Networks, Zakim was involved with the PR launch campaigns behind some of the most popular and successful films and television shows in recent history. These have included "Backdraft," "Jurassic Park," "Schindler's List," "Apollo 13," "Jungle Fever," "The Big Chill," "Gandhi," "Tootsie," "Annie" and "Blue Velvet," from the film world, and high profile TV series including "Weeds," "Dexter" and "The Tudors."
Zakim is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He was recognized by his peers as one of the Top 100 people in the Cable Industry in 2007, and has been active in industry associations such as the National Cable and Television Association (NCTA), the Association of Corporate Communications (ACC,) and the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM).
For more information, please visit: www.bridgestrategic.com
About DAN HARARY & THE ASBURY PR AGENCY
Dan Harary is the President & Founder of The Asbury PR Agency, which he launched in 1996 as a boutique PR agency specializing in all areas of entertainment and media. During the course of the past 18 years, Asbury has handled hundreds of clients and projects.
Notable campaigns have included the announcement of the upcoming sequel to the beloved film "It's A Wonderful Life," which garnered global media coverage; the launch of The Hollywood Film Festival; the American Film Institute's Tribute to the U.S. Government's "Atomic Cinematographers;" the launches of the earliest, Online animated content from director Tim Burton and "Ren & Stimpy" creator John "K"; the World Animation Celebration; the launch of "Star Trek: The Experience" attraction in Las Vegas; "Lovelace: A Rock Opera" at The Hayworth Theatre; the indie film "A Day Without A Mexican" (which triggered major national controversy and publicity), and the original cast reunion of "Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Hollywood," among them.
Asbury has handled PR for many of the most preeminent ad/marketing agencies for the entertainment industry, countless visual and special FX companies and projects, dozens of TV promo and motion graphics houses, TV commercial production studios, music libraries, new media/technology companies, large scale events, advertising campaigns, experiential and event marketing production companies, authors, live theatre presentations, charity events, reality TV stars, new product launches, law firms, comedians, singers, and many others.
Prior to launching Asbury PR, Harary had been an Executive Vice President with The Lippin Group PR (1989-96.) During that time, he represented dozens of corporate entertainment companies, including MCA/Universal Television, MTM Television, KCAL TV News, and TV series from MCA and Disney. He also repped The Environmental Media Association and the Goldman Environmental Prize, and conceived and launched the EMA Awards.
From 1987-89, Harary was a Senior Publicist with Solters/Roskin/Friedman PR, during which time he was the West Coast publicist for Jay Leno, concurrent with Leno being named as Johnny Carson's permanent guest host of "The Tonight Show." Earlier in his career, Harary held in-house PR positions with Columbia Pictures Television, The Playboy Channel and The American Film Institute. Prior to relocating from Asbury Park, NJ, to Los Angeles in l980, Harary worked in the PR department of Columbia Pictures in New York City. In l973, when he was 16, Harary worked along the Jersey Shore as a Stage Crew member for a then unknown Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
For more information, please visit: www.asburypr.com.
