NEW YORK, November 10, 2014 – ESSENCE, the preeminent media brand for African-American women, celebrated “For The Love of Black Women” at its 2nd annual Upfront, held in New York City’s Liberty Theater in Times Square on Thursday, November 6, 2014.

Building on the record-breaking success of this summer’s 20th anniversary ESSENCE Festival– heralded in Advertising Age as the “Superbowl of Marketing to Black Women”–the ESSENCE Upfront touted the brand’s 2014 achievements in digital innovation, social media expansion and double-digit gains in magazine readership. These winning results have set the stage for continued growth in original video content and live-event platforms including red carpet programs like Black Women in Music during GRAMMY-week and the pre-OSCAR Black Women in Hollywood luncheon.

 

Presenting 2015 programming highlights to clients, media and industry experts, ESSENCE spotlighted new magazine, video and experiential live-event franchises, including three new video series hitting Essence.com next year on the heels of the brand’s successful 7 THINGS WE’RE TALKING ABOUT, FASHION CLOSET and 12+ hours of ESSENCE Festival live-stream content with partner Google:

 

Weekly talk show ESSENCE LIVE as the new go-to destination for all things entertainment, fashion, news and love and relationships—including celebrity interviews, musical performances, expert advice and much more.

Weekly beauty makeover program 5 MINUTE ZSHOOSH featuring expert how-to’s for everyday women on how to elevate their look in 5 minutes or less.

Awards season special RED CARPET RECAP offering exclusive access to ESSENCE’s most popular red carpet events with highlights of the latest style & beauty trends, celebrity news and behind-the-scenes happenings.

More than 150 guests attended the ESSENCE Upfront, which included presentations and performances by celebrities such as ESSENCE December issue cover star and Oscar-nominated actress Quvenzhané Wallis, actress KeKe Palmer, actor/singer Mack Wilds, rapper Tef Poe, gospel singer Kim Burrell, hip-hop trio Naughty by Nature and many more.

See highlights of the 2015 ESSENCE Upfront below:

 

5 Minute Zhoosh

 

ESSENCE Live

 

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About ESSENCE Communications Inc.

 

Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the number one media company dedicated to African-American women, with a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events and online. The company’s flagship publication, ESSENCE magazine, is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; generating brand extensions such as the Essence Festival, ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood and Black Women in Music, Window on Our Women and Smart Beauty consumer insights series, the Essence Book Club, Essence.com, and ventures in digital media. For 44 years, ESSENCE, which has a brand reach of 11 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information and specific solutions relating to every area of African-American women’s lives. Additional information about ECI and ESSENCE is available at essence.com.

 

About Time Inc.

 

Time Inc. (NYSE: TIME) is one of the largest media companies in the world reaching more than 130 million consumers each month across multiple platforms. With influential brands such as TIME, PEOPLE, Sports Illustrated, InStyle, Real Simple, Wallpaper, Travel + Leisure and FOOD & WINE, Time Inc. is home to celebrated events and franchises including the FORTUNE 500, TIME 100, PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive, Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year, the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen and the ESSENCE Festival.

 

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CONTACTS:

 

Dana Baxter

dbaxter@essence.com

212-522-1634