HEARST’S SWEET SWEAT: Hearst is finally ready to unveil its top secret digital project on Monday, WWD has learned.
Called “Sweet,” the channel will launch on Snapchat and make use of other social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. The product already has a 49-second teaser video on YouTube made up of random clips that include a cameo from Carrie Brownstein, and quick cuts to lifestyle subjects covered by Hearst’s magazines, such as a model home in the Midwest, a specialty cocktail, a race-car driver, various musicians, fencer and men’s wear model Race Imboden, a dog peering out from a blue backpack, a couple playing a game, molten lava, a stack of literary books and the depths of the ocean.
During the teaser, “Fate” by Pines plays cryptically and the video closes with a stream of flashing sentences that include: “Love something every day. Sweet is insatiable. Sweet is composed. Sweet is imperfect. Sweet is inventive. Sweet is bold. Sweet is fresh. Sweet is irreverent. Sweet is playful. Sweet is sexy. Sweet is unexpected. Sweet is coming soon.”
While the Snapchat partnership was spearheaded by Joanna Coles, who serves as editor in chief of Cosmopolitan and editorial director of Seventeen, Sweet is run by Luke Crisell. The channel is produced out of Hearst’s digital group, which is led by Troy Young. Coles has been making strides to play a larger, strategic role at the company, and is in talks to develop a magazine with Airbnb, as well as a television show for NBC based on life at Cosmo.
Crisell was tapped over the summer to oversee the special project, which Hearst has kept under wraps.
Hearst has pulled in digital staffers to work on Sweet, as well as freelance editors. Editors working on the project include Mallory Rice, Chantal Strasburger, Liza Darwin, Josh Davis and Maia Schoenfelder. Hearst also in March hired Youyoung Lee, a former senior editor of strategy and development from The Huffington Post, to become its director of editorial insights to work on product that bridges edit and mobile and digital.
Even though the channel launches Monday, users can follow project Sweet on Facebook, or on Twitter and Instagram (@WeAreSweet).
Hearst confirmed the launch of the channel, but declined further comment.