CORUS ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES 360-DEGREE PARTNERSHIP WITH HOME DÉCOR EXPERT AND KIN CREATOR ALEXANDRA GATER

Corus Studios Greenlights Development Deal With Alexandra Gater for New HGTV Canada Show

A Newly Launched Hand-Poured Candle From Gater Marks the Beginning of a Suite of Products Focused on Home Décor and Accessories

Gater Will Also Be the Face and Host of New IKEA Social Series Produced by so.da in Partnership with HGTV Canada

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TORONTO, May 12, 2022 /CNW/ - Corus Entertainment's award-winning creator agency Kin Community Canada, so.da, the company's social-first client agency, Corus Studios¸ the company's premium content studio that develops, produces and distributes lifestyle, unscripted and factual content globally, and Nelvana, Corus' world-leading content producer, distributor, licensor, and agent, have come together to launch a 360-degree partnership across social, television, streaming and merchandising with home décor expert and Kin creator Alexandra Gater.

One of Canada's top home & DIY YouTubers, Gater is an editor, stylist and home décor expert focused on showing millennials how to live in a home that feels stylish and beautiful, even if you rent. She joined the Kin roster in 2018 and witnessing the strength, timeliness and popularity of her content and brand, Corus is extending its partnership with Gater to expand her brand into new areas and platforms.

Earlier this spring in collaboration with Cardea Auset, a Canadian women-led company that sells plant-based products that promote relaxation and reinvigoration, Corus and Gater launched a custom candle, the first of a suite of products focusing on stylish and affordable home décor and accessories by Gater. Named after her cat Lottie, the hand-poured candle crafted with natural ingredients is scented with Bergamot with a hint of spice, pink grapefruit and warm vanilla. The LOTTIE candle is currently available for online purchase at cardeaauset.com. Nelvana serves as the global merchandise agency executing Gater's consumer products.

In addition to Gater's merchandising lines, so.da will be featuring Gater on HGTV Canada's social and digital channels, beginning with a custom social series for IKEA. The series (4x:30) centres on how to 'make yourself at home' while focusing on the multifunctional options consumers desire. People now require more from their homes as not just the place to relax but also work, study, workout, and more. It will showcase how a living space can be transformed with different designs using IKEA furniture, accessories and accents and is slated to arrive in July and will be supported through HGTV Canada's social and digital platforms as well as Gater's social platforms.

Taking her popularity on social platforms to television screens across the country, Corus Studios has also greenlit a development deal, working with Gater to develop a show concept for HGTV Canada. Integration opportunities may be available to brands should the development deal be greenlit. For more information contact the Corus Tempo team.

"Alexandra has established herself as a trailblazer in creating meaningful content for millennial audiences speaking to the current widespread trend of decorating rental spaces in creative, stylish and affordable ways. We are looking forward to taking our partnership with Alexandra to the next level with exciting ventures, like her new LOTTIE candle and the newly inked social series with IKEA, that will continue to grow her brand and presence in the industry," said Dervla Kelly, Senior Vice President, Marketing & so.da, Corus Entertainment. "Using the power of Corus and its expertise in brand building, we are committed to investing in standout talent by providing new opportunities for growth through licensing deals with Nelvana, promotion on owned social and digital channels, branded partnerships with so.da, and a development deal with Corus Studios."

"I am thrilled to be expanding my Corus relationship with this 360-degree partnership. When I started my YouTube channel, I could only dream about one day having an HGTV show and it is surreal to be closer to having that dream come true," said Alexandra Gater, Kin Creator. "Kin Community and Corus have played an integral role in providing opportunity for my business to grow exponentially. I can't wait to see what we accomplish together in this next chapter."

Kin Community works closely with its roster of creators to seek out and provide them with unique business opportunities. Their goal is to help build their own brand while inspiring and engaging audiences with custom content across a variety of  topics including fashion, health & wellness, travel, entrepreneurship, food, and more. With one of the largest databases for influencer marketing in the country, Kin Community offers clients a dynamic range of expertise and audience segments for them to find the perfect match for their customized campaigns.

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About Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that develops and delivers high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world.  Engaging audiences since 1999, the company's portfolio of multimedia offerings encompass 33 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, a suite of digital and streaming assets, animation software, technology and media services. Corus is an internationally-renowned content creator and distributor through Nelvana, a world class animation studio expert in all formats and Corus Studios, a globally recognized producer of hit scripted and unscripted content. The company also owns innovative full-service social digital agency so.da, lifestyle entertainment company Kin Canada, leading 2D animation software supplier Toon Boom and children's book publishing house, Kids Can Press. Corus' roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, Magnolia Network Canada, The HISTORY® Channel, Showcase, Adult Swim, National Geographic, Disney Channel Canada, YTV, Global News, Globalnews.ca, Q107, Country 105, and CFOX, along with broadly distributed Canadian streaming platforms STACKTV, Nick+, the Global TV App and Curiouscast. For more information visit www.corusent.com.

About Kin Community
Kin Community Canada are experts in influencer marketing and social media strategy and represent many of Canada's top lifestyle creators including The Domestic Geek (2.3+ million), DIY Mommy (1.2+ million), hot for food (825K), and Alexandra Gater (516.5K). Working in conjunction with Corus, Kin uses data and trends to help brands develop cohesive campaigns that leverage their network creator's highly-engaged audiences as well as tapping into a broad base of Kin vetted creators. Kin was acquired by Corus Entertainment in Spring of 2019. For more information please reach out to Kin Partner Enquiries ([email protected]) or visit www.kincommunity.ca.

About so.da
so.da was born social – other agencies merely adopted it. We came up slinging memes in Hashtag Town, now we're a tall, full-grown, full-service shop. We'll get you your PR, strategy, and creative all day, and then do production, analytics, and talk to influencers all night. We serve Canada's leading brands in categories such as food, lifestyle, entertainment, tech, fashion, and more - but we haven't forgotten how to 🎉🥳. For more information, visit www.sodashop.ca or email [email protected].

About IKEA Canada
Founded in 1943 in Sweden, IKEA is a leading home furnishing retailer, offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. IKEA Canada is part of Ingka Group which operates 374 IKEA stores in 30 countries, including 14 in Canada. Last year, IKEA Canada welcomed 22.9 million visitors to its stores and 178.4 million visitors to IKEA.ca and the IKEA app. IKEA Canada operates business through the IKEA vision - to create a better everyday life for the many people and does so through its local community efforts and sustainability initiatives. For more information on IKEA Canada, please visit IKEA.ca. 

SOURCE Corus Entertainment Inc.

For media inquiries, please contact: April Lim, Sr. Publicist, Corus Entertainment, 416.860.4216, [email protected]; Stacey Grimshaw, Sr. Publicity Manager, Corus Entertainment, 416.479.6082, [email protected]