New Digital TV Series, Back of House, Takes Home Two 2018 Telly Awards
Innovative online show that pulled back the curtain giving viewers a glimpse behind the scenes at the hospitality and entertainment industry, wins national awards
UNCASVILLE, CT (June 6, 2018) – Launched in September of 2017 at the Tribeca Film Festival, and now reaching over half-a-million views, the original online series, Back of House, has been honored with two Telly Awards, for outstanding Branded Content and Cinematography.
Since 1979, Telly Awards have recognized the best work in TV and Video and have honored BackofHouse.TV with the following:
- A “Travel and Tourism” Telly Award in Branded Content
- A “Craft” Telly Award in Videography and Cinematography
“We set out to showcase how we create good times for every guest on every visit. Back of House is informative and entertaining in part because our employees have inspiring personalities that are equally as impressive as our resort amenities. To be
recognized by the Telly Awards is something we can all be proud of on many levels,” said George Galinsky, Senior Vice President of Marketing Communications, Mohegan Sun.
Award-winning Production studio, Primal-NY, co-created Back of House with Mohegan Sun and the award-winning TV consulting firm, Fact & Fiction, was used to execute their vision for the show. The series follows a group of fun employees at one of the largest casino resort destinations in the world and welcomes viewers in to witness how everything gets done when 20,000 visitors are arriving every day. The original trailer for the the series currently has over 675,000 views and the show itself has eclipsed 500,000 views on Mohegan Sun’s YouTube and Facebook pages. The series generated a 54% increase in total subscribers to Mohegan Sun’s YouTube channel, where viewers have watched nearly 7,000 hours of series-related content, 80% of which were on mobile devices.
Season one took viewers along for a ride as employee cast members pulled everything together for Dj Khaled’s impromptu appearance in Avalon Night Club, Kenny Chesney’s induction into the Walk of Fame, and The Bachelorette’s Rachel Lindsay’s special appearance in the Shops at Mohegan Sun. Because the show runs in all hotel rooms at Mohegan Sun, the employee cast & crew are now being recognized across the resort.
These moments have resonated with viewers, who don’t often get to see the back offices, prep kitchens and rehearsal stages at a destination of this size and scope. Among the thousands of comments generated online about the show:
“It’s great when you enjoy your work, keep it up,” – Mixx P. on Facebook
“I was there that day!” – David S. on Facebook
“Ah, man, I’d love that job!” –Nicole H. on Facebook
“In a media environment where an infinite amount of content is always at our fingertips, it’s important for brands to find new and creative ways to engage with their guests. Creating the Back of House original series started a new dialogue with both our frequent loyal guests, as well as many who may not have previously been familiar with Mohegan Sun,” said Michelle Williams, Director of Social Media at Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment.
Season two of Back Of House will feature new faces and is set to premier this August when the first two episodes go live on www.backofhouse.TV. In September, six more episodes will be added.
ABOUT THE TELLY AWARDS: The Telly Awards is the premier award honoring video and television across all screens. Established in 1979, The Telly Awards receives over 12,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 continents. Entrants are judged by The Telly Awards Judging Council—an industry body of over 200 leading experts including advertising agencies, production companies, and major television networks, reflective of the multiscreen industry The Telly Awards celebrates. Partners of The Telly Awards include NAB, StudioDaily, Stash Magazine, and Digiday.
ABOUT PRIMAL NY: Primal NY is a full-service production studio that specializes in digital strategy, brand discovery, content creation and distribution. Primal positions clients in ideal Digital, TV and Film scenarios to ensure optimization of content. Based in New York City, the award-winning team of diverse filmmakers has experience across many industries including fashion, entertainment, sport, music, hospitality, gaming and motion pictures. Primal enters relationships where opportunities exist to develop original content that enhances a client’s brand identity by finding unique ways to tell their story. For more information, visit primal-ny.com.
ABOUT FACT & FRICTION: With offices in New York, Toronto and Manchester, and the credentials of: Undercover Boss & Next Top Model as well as working with the likes of Sharon Osbourne, Tyra Banks, Jay-Z, Jenny Jones and Rihanna, Fact & Friction is a TV development consulting firm, led by showrunner, Ron Carroll. Their work extends throughout the US, Canada and U.K. and were recognized with the “Best Reality Series” Screen Award from the Academy of Cinema & Television, for launching Canada’s Next Top Model and are MipCom 2017 winners of the Diversity Award for Unscripted programming for the follow-doc series “Employable Me.”
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN: Owned by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, Mohegan Sun is one of the largest, most spectacular entertainment, gaming, dining and shopping destinations in the United States. Situated on 185 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is home to 1,600 deluxe hotel rooms, 2 world-class spas, a golf course, 3 casinos, over 90 shops, restaurants and bars as well as three award-winning entertainment venues including the 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena. Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country. More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitterand Instagram @mohegansun, view us on YouTube and find us on Snapchat at username MoheganSun.
###