HIP Video Promo
HIP Video Promo is a privately owned music video promotion company based out of South River, New Jersey. The company, founded by its current owner Andy Gesner, was established in 2000 and specializes in distributing music video content to national, multi-market, and regional outlets including television stations, retail pools and internet websites throughout the United States and Canada for broadcast. The HIP Video Promo servicing and promotional network includes close to 100 programmers and programming outlets including MTV, Fuse, VH1, BET, Much Music, and Pitchfork. The company promotes an average of 150 music videos per year.
Early years
Andy Gesner founded the company in October, 2000 after leaving another video promotions company he had just left a position working for an up-and-coming video promotion company, as their phone call assistant, reaching out to programmers. The company's first clients included Virgin, Sub Pop, and Doghouse Records, which helped launch HIP Video Promo into the music industry. The name "HIP Video Promo" generated from Andy's small record company he was running at the time called Hedgehog Records. HIP is an acronym. It stands for Hedgehog Independent Promotions. The company really started to gain ground in 2003, when HIP was hired to promote the Johnny Cash "Hurt" video. HIP then went on to work with Elvis Costello and Morrissey along with hundreds of other acts. Over the past ten years HIP Video Promo has worked on over 1000 videos (as of 2011) including Pearl Jam, Death Cab For Cutie, The Gaslight Anthem, Bloc Party, The Shins, Maroon 5, Paramore and of Montreal.
Current Business
Currently the HIP Video headquarters is located in South River, New Jersey, from which the company runs most of their operations.