By Sahil Patel

Feminine-care brand U by Kotex is executive producing a transmedia series from digital agency Shift2 and digital studio Smokebomb Entertainment based on “Carmilla,” the classic gothic vampire novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.

The series, also called “Carmilla,” soft-launched in late August, with a target of 36, four-minute episodes. Currently, two new episodes of the show air every week on Canadian teen magazine Vervegirl’s YouTube channel . The video content is accompanied by Twitter and Tumblr accounts that continue and expand on the story.

Based on Le Fanu’s novel from 1872, the “Carmilla” online series tells the story of a Laura, young woman — three weeks into her first semester at college — whose roommate mysteriously disappears after a party. Laura soon launches an investigation into the disappearance, for things to only be complicated by the arrival of a mysterious stranger, Carmilla, who claims to be Laura’s new roommate. (Long story short: Carmilla’s a vampire.)

Since launch, “Carmilla” has accumulated 1.2 million views on YouTube, with 3.3 million minutes watched, according to Smokebomb. The audience skews heavily toward females, who account for 91% of viewership.

So it’s no surprise, then, that U by Kotex, which is owned by Kimberly-Clark, would get involved. As part of the brand deal, U by Kotex’s “Save the Undies” campaign has been integrated into the series’ vlog-style videos. For instance, in one particular episode, the two lead characters debate the “age-old question” of whether vampires get periods {link no longer active}.

“Carmilla” is produced by Smokebomb’s Steph Ouaknine and Jay Bennett, and executive produced by U by Kotex and brand agency Geometry Global. Smokebomb’s Jordan Hill co-created and writes for the series.

Shaftesbury Sales Company, the distribution division of Smokebomb and Shift2 co-venture partner Shaftesbury, is in discussions with third-party distributors, the companies said. The series was showcased to buyers at MIPCOM in France earlier this week.

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