TUVonline.com offers students and marketers a new way to connect

(April 4, 2007) Three Philadelphia-based college students have created a new kind of Internet-based media platform. It's called TUV, or Truly Unique Vision, and it's a broadband video channel that showcases college lifestyle.

“We were tired of the same old thing on television and on the Net,” said Jason Smikle, director of TUV. “We wanted a media platform that would allow students to control the content and provide a take on the world from their own perspective.”

Smikle, along with Ebele Mora and Fabricio Sousa, originally founded Truly Unique Vision as a video production company. They captured the creative works of students from the Philly’s Temple University, the University of Penn and Drexel University.  Dance clubs, spoken word artists, rappers and fashion shows sought out the services of TUV to record their efforts. In the first year they produced video recordings on some 30 clubs and artists.

“We recorded some pretty remarkable performances from these groups,” said Sousa. “We packaged it with professional editing and high-quality production values. It just seemed a shame that more people weren’t seeing the results of all that work.”

The trio came up with an answer to that predicament by showcasing the results over the Internet on a broadband channel called TUVonline.com. When the student groups witnessed each other side-by-side on the Website, it led to a desire for bragging rights. What followed was the concept of a talent competition captured on video, including the rehearsals and backstage drama leading up to the event.

TUV’s “Battle of the Best” brought together 12 competing groups in the categories of Latin Dance, Hip-Hop Dance, Fashion and Freestyle Rap. With three professional judges and a capacity audience from area colleges, the "Battle" proved to be a success and set the stage for TUVonline.com's future..

The Website’s content now includes a broad range of original video clips featuring dance performances, fashion shows, poetry slams, commentary on topical points of view and a roving party cam. A team of 20 producers in Atlanta, Miami, Washington D.C., New York and Philadelphia contribute a steady stream of fresh content.

TUV is now preparing to work with marketers who want a unique means of connecting with students who want the latest in lifestyle trends and creative self-expression. They have already contributed their services to ESPN360, Comcast and Sprint.

“We see TUV as a means for companies to distinguish themselves from the competition while connecting with students in a completely new environment,” said Smikle.

For further information, contact TUV at jason.smikle@tuvonline.com. Tel. 267-973-3923.


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