Lief
With a rare instinct for auteur talent, and a vision for how brands and filmmakers can work together without either compromising what makes them valuable, Margo Mars has built two genuinely distinctive studios in Lief Studio and Lief Entertainment Company.
My role
Strategist, creative collaborator, and sounding board to Margo, founder of Lief Studio and co-founder of Lief Entertainment Company with Raymond Van Der Kaaij.
What’s emerged
Lief Studio
I helped Margo position Lief Studio as a female-led content studio focused on uniquely diverse artist-filmmakers who create cultural exchange through their work. I provided sounding board support as she developed her TEDx talk on representation in advertising, and provide ongoing crystal-balling thoughts on “where it’s all headed.”
Lief Entertainment Company
Lief Entertainment Company creates, produces, and distributes brand-funded entertainment leveraging Margo’s nose for artistic talent, and Raymond's deep experience in European film production and financing.
The challenge for me was naming something true that didn’t have a name yet, hence,
“Auteur Brands”
The insight is simple but powerful: when brands trust auteur filmmakers to tell stories that reflect their values, rather than producing safe corporate content, they become Auteur Brands by proxy. They inherit the cultural cachet, creative point of view, and audience trust that comes with backing real artists. Think Barbie with Greta Gerwig at the helm.
The Auteur Brands concept now sits at the centre of how Lief Entertainment communicates its value to streamers, studios, and brands. More relevant than ever in the age of AI, when the hunger for genuine human authorship is only growing.
“Finding a sounding board who truly understands the nuance of my creative instincts is rare. Working with Andy also helped us articulate our vision: the ‘Auteur Brands’ concept he developed is now a cornerstone of how we communicate our unique value to streamers and brands. An essential part of the Lief journey."
Margo Mars