Publicis Group's Droga5 will make its first foray into branded entertainment with Honeyshed this summer, reports Adweek.

Honeyshed's business model puts brands at the center of its features rather than relegating them to the sidelines. "It's based on the idea that people love brands and don't mind being sold to if it's completely transparent," said Droga5 CEO Andrew Essex. "We like to say honey is the content and the shed is the community."

In a three-tiered model, Honeyshed will produce shows, build episodic brand-centric content and conduct contests and sweepstakes.

While the branded entertainment landscape is populated with major brands like Anheuser-Busch's Bud.tv and Nike's Nikeplus.com, Essex does not feel Honeyshed is sashaying into a competitive field. "This is about multiple brands getting strength from other brands, like a mall."

Honeyshed will charge advertisers a fee each time a video is viewed, with CPMs based on engagement and length of stay. The company is mum about the specifics.

Publicis Groupe will hold a 51 percent stake in the venture, with Smuggler, NY managing a large portion of production duties. Seed cost is approximately $20 million, according to some sources.