Warner Bros. Discovery is launching a cinematic universe for brand deals

You’re about to start seeing even more characters from Warner Bro. Discovery’s films and series popping up in ads for stuff like condiments and insurance.

In addition to its plan to start calling HBO Max by its proper name again, WBD announced this week that it’s launching something called the “WBD Storyverse,” a new ad sales initiative designed to turn pieces of the studio’s classic IP into elaborate commercials. Inspired by some WBD’s past brand partnerships with companies including Unilever, Wayfair, and State Farm, WBD Storyverse will create ads meant to capitalize on consumers’ fondness for movies like The Matrix and Harry Potter as well as series like Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and Family Matters. 

According to WBD, Storyverse content will run on its own linear and digital platforms as well as social channels. While the studio didn’t go into detail about what Storyverse ads will look like exactly, it did note that program talent (read: actors you recognize) may reprise their roles in some instances. In a press release about the initiative, WBD’s executive vice president of partnerships Sheereen Russell described Storyverse as being “all about creative possibilities.”

“Audiences have a deep connection to our stories, and we want to offer that connectivity in service to our partners,” Russell said. “By blending fresh ideas with the familiarity of our beloved worlds and characters, we empower marketers to spark cultural conversations and delight consumers with meaningful moments.”

All of this makes it sound like WBD wants to flood the zone with the sorts of commercials you would expect to see airing during the Super Bowl. That makes a certain degree of sense given how those kinds of ads can become miniature cultural moments that get people talking about and more primed to spend money on products. But part of what makes ad spots like “Batman vs. Bateman” fun is how unexpected and out of the ordinary they are. And if the studio churns out too many of these things, it’s very easy to imagine them becoming a depressing reminder of how it sees everything as Content™.