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Lief Entertainment Company launches
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The award-winning creative content studio Lief founded by Margo Mars announces a new venture with producer Raymond van der Kaaij to create a premium entertainment studio where brands become cultural patrons.
The production company Lief founded by Margo Mars, launches Lief Entertainment Company in partnership with veteran film producer Raymond van der Kaaij.
The new venture will bridge the gap between auteur filmmaking and brand storytelling, creating a first-ofits-kind entertainment studio where marketing budgets become cultural investments.
Announced during MIPCOM's inaugural BrandStorytelling summit, Lief Entertainment Company represents a radical shift from traditional branded content. Instead of producing readily ignored advertising spots, the company will pair visionary filmmakers - Lief's roster for commercial representation alone includes Misan Harriman, Haifaa Al Mansour, and Bertrand Bonello - with brands ready to make bold creative commitments.
“Today’s brands must forge genuine partnerships with their audiences,” says Mars, who brings over 20 years of industry experience to her role as CEO. “Consumers demand authentic commitment; whether societal, artistic, or environmental. We’re here to help brands deliver on that promise through world-class storytelling.”
Van der Kaaij, whose collaborations span international cinema with filmmakers such as Ernesto Contreras (Audience Award, Sundance), Rúnar Rúnarsson (Cannes), and most recently Vladlena Sandu (People’s Choice Award, Venice), believes any brand can become an auteur brand: "But only if it dares to act like one. We’re not just making content; we’re creating cultural assets that deliver longevity, critical acclaim, and commercial returns.”
Lief Entertainment Company’s approach treats brands as cultural patrons rather than traditional clients, giving filmmakers the creative authorship to produce lasting work. The company handles the entire journey from strategic. concept to global distribution, leveraging deep expertise in international financing and production structures typically unavailable to branded content.
Key differentiators include:
- Distribution-first thinking that opens pathways traditionally closed to the outmoded approaches of branded content
- International financing expertise connecting brands to the broader entertainment funding ecosystem
- A focus on cultural relevance bringing European roots and global perspective to a Hollywood-dominated landscape
- Full-service approach covering development, production, and distribution across all formats and territories
With offices spanning the UK, Netherlands, and France, the company is uniquely positioned to offer international cultural relevance. Mars will serve as CEO across both Lief and Lief Entertainment Company, with van der Kaaij engaged in Lief Entertainment Company. Long-term partner Sam Fontaine continues operations from Paris for both ventures.
“We’re not just another production company,” Mars emphasises, defining brand entertainment as distinct from outdated notions of branded content. “We’re creating a new category where entertainment becomes an asset, not a cost. Where brands become cultural forces, not just commercial entities.”
