It was quite an achievement to land one of the most important leaders in the world, have him sit between two ferns, throw jabs at a pudgy, bearded comedian and take the comebacks in stride. Funny or Die’s recent high-profile guest, President Barack Obama, is a testament to the online comedy platform “sticking to [their] knitting.”

Funny or Die CEO, Dick Glover (yes – that’s his real name) says that landing Obama was all about sticking to the company focus of being talent-friendly and focusing on creativity. Sticking to the motto “content drives the deal” or their “knitting,” as Glover puts it, is why they landed Obama.

Talks between the White House and the site started back in 2011, when the White House was looking for a way to reach young people, something that Funny or Die are kind of good at. But only at the end of last year did the White House call a meeting with entertainment execs to discuss ways of reaching young people concerning the Affordable Care Act.

The comedy platform pitched the idea of using Obama in one of their skits, and it worked.

The most important thing from the video is it worked, it delivered,” said Glover.

Funny or Die’s link to the Affordable Care Act increased its site’s traffic by 40%, and the video remains a top referral for new sign ups.

To read more about the how Funny or Die landed Obama, click here.

[ Source : FastCompany ]