4Creative, Channel 4‘s in-house agency, in collaboration with Biscuit, have created a playful new film to promote Channel 4’s member programme, Channel 4+.
Channel 4+’s no ad, ad
Subverting the 90s home shopping channel genre, the new film, directed by Florence Poppy Deary, follows two fictional presenters as they slowly realise that with no ads, there will be no them. As the set descends into chaos, so does the duo’s grip on reality.
Channel 4+ is the premium extension to the broadcaster’s free streaming platform, designed for viewers who want more of what they already love, sooner.
The focus is on deepening engagement of a trusted brand, rather than competing for all, with benefits including early access to selected shows.
David Wigglesworth, Executive Creative Director & Creative Partner, 4Creative, said: “Channel 4 has always loved messing with familiar TV formats, so we wanted to see how far we could push the classic daytime sales ad.
“Florence Poppy Deary and the team at Biscuit found the perfect twist: an advert that has a full-blown meltdown the moment it realises what it’s actually selling. It’s silly, it’s hardworking, and it made us laugh from day one.”
Lisa Nash, Director of Brand & Content Marketing, Channel 4, said: “We wanted a campaign that was as cheeky as the product itself. Watching two presenters unravel live on air because there are no ads to save them is exactly the kind of self-aware and relentlessly witty marketing Channel 4 does so well.
“As a result, this is an exceptionally on-brand way to promote our Channel 4+ membership programme – rewarding that loyalty with something as sharp and funny as the shows our viewers come to us for in the first place.”