Against All Odds Productions

What Against All Odds Productions does

Against All Odds Productions is a privately held transmedia organization, founded in 1991 and headquartered in New York (with a Sausalito footprint), that produces large-scale, crowd-sourced photography and storytelling projects. Founded and led by Rick Smolan (a former Time, Life, and National Geographic photographer and New York Times best-selling author) and Jennifer Erwitt (a co-director with two decades of editorial experience at Time, Fortune, Newsweek, National Geographic, and The New York Times), with Katya Able as COO, the company operates with 1-10 employees and mobilizes hundreds of leading international photojournalists per project.

The company's core products are multi-format transmedia projects built around a single thematically coherent initiative, typically combining an award-winning coffee-table book, a WEBBY award-winning mobile/tablet app (sometimes integrated with Aurasma augmented reality), a broadcast TV documentary (PBS, CuriosityStream, CNN International), a data-collection smartphone app, and a traveling interactive exhibit. Notable projects include One Digital Day (1997, with Intel), 24 Hours in Cyberspace, Passage to Vietnam, America at Home and UK at Home (2008, with IKEA), Blue Planet Run (2007), Inside Tracks (2013), and The Human Face of Big Data (2015, with EMC). Underlying technical components include Aurasma AR integration, iPad/iPhone apps, a digital data collection platform, and online galleries (e.g., TIME.com).

Revenue is generated primarily through corporate project underwriting by Fortune 500 sponsors seeking large-scale brand exposure and thought-leadership positioning, with secondary streams from direct-to-consumer book sales (including special editions like the IKEA edition of America at Home), app store downloads (with some proceeds donated to charity), and documentary broadcast/streaming licensing fees. Customers are primarily Fortune 500 corporations (Intel, IKEA, EMC, Google, HP, Facebook, Nikon), with secondary reach into educational institutions via the US State Department film diplomacy program, museum exhibitions (Annenberg Space for Photography, San Jose Tech Museum), and cultural venues. Go-to-market is relationship-driven and earned-media-led: projects have historically generated 290-300 million media impressions and been featured on covers of Fortune, Time, Wall Street Journal, GEO, Stern, and Newsweek.

Name

Against All Odds Productions

Legal name

Against All Odds Productions

Website

https://againstallodds.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Against All Odds Productions is a transmedia organization founded in 1991 that creates crowd-sourced photography and storytelling projects underwritten by Fortune 500 sponsors, producing award-winning books, apps, documentaries, and traveling exhibits serving corporations seeking massive brand exposure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transmedia Content Production

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Politics & Current Affairs Documentaries (MPADADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Travel & Adventure Documentaries (MPADADAM), Social Issue & Advocacy Documentaries (MPADADAG), Historical, Biographical & Archival Documentaries (MPADADAE)

Keywords

• Transmedia content production
• Crowd-sourced photography
• Coffee-table book publishing
• Augmented reality publishing
• Documentary film production

Headquarters

HQ city

Sausalito

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorship/Underwriting: Fortune 500 companies underwrite/transmedia projects, providing funding in exchange for brand association and massive media impressions
2. Book Sales: Award-winning coffee-table books sold directly and through retailers; includes collectibles and special editions
3. App Sales/Downloads: WEBBY award-winning smartphone and tablet apps available through app stores; proceeds from some apps donated to charity
4. Documentary Broadcast Rights: TV documentaries broadcast nationally and internationally; PBS broadcast, CuriosityStream streaming, and international distribution

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Against All Odds Productions creates large-scale, crowd-sourced transmedia projects that combine photography, books, smartphone/tablet apps, TV documentaries, and traveling interactive exhibits around emerging global topics such as big data and the global water crisis. Each project is typically underwritten by a Fortune 500 corporate sponsor and results in award-winning books, WEBBY award-winning apps, and broadcast documentaries distributed across booksellers, app stores, streaming platforms, and physical exhibitions.

Product overview

Against All Odds Productions is a transmedia organization that creates massive crowd-sourced projects combining creative storytelling with state-of-the-art technology. The company produces award-winning books, WEBBY award-winning apps, TV documentaries, and traveling interactive exhibits. Their portfolio includes major projects like The Human Face of Big Data (featuring apps, film, and educational initiatives), Inside Tracks (book with AR technology and feature film adaptation), One Digital Day (Intel-sponsored book and TV special), America at Home/UK at Home (IKEA-partnered photography books), Blue Planet Run (award-winning water crisis book), and 24 Hours in Cyberspace. Projects are underwritten by Fortune 500 companies and have been featured on covers of Fortune, Time, The Wall Street Journal, GEO, Stern, and Newsweek.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inside Tracks A transmedia coffee-table book documenting Robyn Davidson's 1,700-mile trek across the Australian outback in 1977, combining Rick Smolan's photography, excerpts from Davidson's memoir, photographs from the TRACKS feature film, and a smartphone app with Aurasma AR integration that brings images to life with video content. Targeted at consumers and photography enthusiasts, and funded via Kickstarter.
• The Human Face of Big Data A transmedia project capturing the big data revolution through photography and essays, including a public data collection smartphone app, an iPad interactive app, a PBS-broadcast documentary, and traveling Mission Control media events in London, New York, and Singapore. Sponsored by EMC; targeted at general consumers, educators, and the corporate sponsor's key influencer audience.
• America at Home / UK at Home Companion photography books documenting home life in the United States and United Kingdom, featuring 150 photojournalists plus amateur contributors, custom cover creation tools, and online galleries on TIME.com. Co-produced with IKEA; targeted at consumers and the IKEA brand's lifestyle positioning.
• One Digital Day A photography book, CNN television special, and website project documenting how microprocessors have transformed human culture, published for Intel's 30th anniversary. Targeted at general consumers, Intel employees, educators (via Journey Inside education website for 5th–9th graders), and museum audiences.
• Blue Planet Run An award-winning photography book documenting the global water crisis and its solutions, featuring essays and photographs from leading journalists. Targeted at consumers, educators, and environmental advocates; won the Independent Publisher Book Award Gold for 'Most Likely to Save the Planet' (2007) and the Benjamin Franklin Award for Nature/Environment.
• 24 Hours in Cyberspace A cross-media project capturing a single day in global internet activity through crowd-sourced photography, resulting in a book, TV documentary, and traveling interactive exhibits. Targeted at consumers and general audiences interested in technology and the early internet era; led to a New York Times best-selling book.

Quantifiable outcome

• Generated over 300 million media impressions worldwide for One Digital Day
• +5 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• IKEAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008IKEA co-produced America at Home in conjunction with its 'HOME IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE WORLD' brand strategy. IKEA focused on how people live and build relationships at home. Project included custom IKEA edition and reinforced IKEA's brand positioning beyond furniture to family interactions and lifestyle diversity.
• IntelflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Intel's 30th anniversary partnership produced One Digital Day project depicting how microprocessors have transformed culture. Intel Chairman Andy Grove distributed copies to 70,000 employees. Intel used stories/images for The Journey Inside education website for 5th-9th graders. Project was featured in Fortune magazine 31-page cover story and generated 290+ million media impressions.
• EMCflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMC sponsored The Human Face of Big Data project. Project PR vaulted EMC from 4th to 2nd position in the Big Data space after IBM. 41% of all articles mentioned EMC. EMC's technology and expertise highlighted as playing a leading role in making Big Data a reality for governments and businesses.
• PBScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPBS broadcast The Human Face of Big Data nationwide on February 24th at 10pm/9c. Film broadcast internationally in 25 countries and available online via CuriosityStream streaming service.
• GoogleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle listed as supporting sponsor of America at Home project
• Hewlett-Packard (HP Snapfish)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerHP Snapfish listed as supporting sponsor of America at Home project
• FacebookminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFacebook listed as supporting sponsor of America at Home project
• NikonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNikon listed as supporting sponsor of America at Home project, providing photography equipment
• Annenberg Space for PhotographyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInside Tracks Traveling Exhibition displayed at Annenberg Space for Photography Skylight Studios with custom interactive exhibit
• National GeographiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRick Smolan was National Geographic photographer; National Geographic sent Smolan to photograph Robyn Davidson's trek; original National Geographic story inspired the Tracks memoir and Inside Tracks project
• American Program BureauminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmerican Program Bureau represents Rick Smolan for speaking engagements at exhibitions, TEDxBeaconStreet, National Geographic Seminar, Google, and Nat Geo Live events
• US State DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Human Face of Big Data film selected for screening at US Consulates and Embassies as part of the AMERICAN FILM SHOWCASE film diplomacy program

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Penguin Random House: World's largest trade book publisher producing award-winning nonfiction, photography, and illustrated coffee-table books. Broad incumbent peer competing for shelf space, retailer relationships, and author/photographer talent in the same premium nonfiction book category.
• PBS: US public broadcaster producing and distributing documentaries nationwide. Broad incumbent peer; Against All Odds' Human Face of Big Data was broadcast on PBS, and PBS represents both a distribution partner and a content commissioning competitor in the documentary space.
• Discovery, Inc. Global media company producing and distributing factual and documentary programming across linear and streaming. Broad incumbent peer that produces content in the same nonfiction/documentary category and operates streaming distribution competing for the same sponsor and audience dollars.

Direct peers

• Radical Media: Production company specializing in branded documentary and cross-platform content for global brands and broadcasters. Directly comparable as a transmedia producer competing for the same Fortune 500 sponsored-content commissions.
• Tool of North America: Bicoastal production company producing commercials, branded content, and documentaries for major brands and agencies. Comparable as a competing production house targeting Fortune 500 sponsored storytelling engagements.
• M ss ng P eces: Award-winning production and entertainment company producing documentaries and branded content. Comparable as a peer in the high-end branded documentary and transmedia production space.
• Vice Media: Global youth media company producing branded editorial, documentaries, and transmedia storytelling for major advertisers. Directly comparable for documentary production and brand-sponsored content commissions.
• CuriosityStream: SVOD streaming platform specializing in premium factual and documentary content. Comparable as both a distribution partner (broadcasting The Human Face of Big Data) and a content producer competing in the same factual/documentary commissioning market.
• National Geographic Partners: Produces award-winning books, magazines, and documentaries on global topics with premium photojournalism. Direct peer given Against All Odds' deep National Geographic heritage via Rick Smolan and its similar book-plus-documentary distribution model.

Emerging players

• StoryCorps: Nonprofit oral-history and storytelling organization producing books, animations, and broadcasts from crowd-sourced personal stories. Comparable as a crowd-sourced storytelling project producer using narrative + technology to scale human stories.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/against-all-odds-productions-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Against All Odds Productions