Channel 4 partners with Bauer Media for live dual screen social TV events
Channel 4 has partnered with Bauer Media to launch heat4…Live!, a social TV experience around three live dual screen social TV events, developed to support three Channel 4 shows.
Marketing begins today, with Bauer-created editorial and advertising content across all heat platforms, in more! magazine and more’s Facebook site.
There will also be a radio campaign on heat and Kiss scripted by the heat editorial team and Bauer radio creative, including the media first of live radio ads on the Bauer network.
Bauer was contacted by OMD about the pitch, with the channel looking for ‘an innovative and noisy new platform that speaks to Channel 4’s core values’.
Lucy Banks, executive creative director of Bauer Media, said: “We are thrilled to be producing this brilliant campaign in partnership with Channel 4. It allows us to use heat’s ability to ramp up engagement and ‘editorialise’ excitement about great Channel 4 shows with this ground-breaking new format that rewards their viewers – and ours - with an even deeper experience of the stuff they love best.”
The first of the events will take place at 6.30pm on 8 June, around the Hollyoaks ‘Savage Party’ special.
The campaign aims to provide bespoke companion content when the shows are on, and a live and interactive online 15 minute ‘show-about-the-show’ following the credits.
Broadcast from a London living room, the shows are produced by Box TV and hosted by T4’s Will Best and heat editor, Lucie Cave, with appearances from cast members and Skype chats with celebrity fans.
James Walker, acting head of marketing, Channel 4, said: “The way people watch TV is changing all the time and we’re constantly looking to create new and exciting ways that bring audiences to, and engage them with, our shows. Combining Heat’s strong editorial with Channel 4’s great programming will make for a really captivating viewer experience and we’ve loved working with Bauer to bring Heat4 to life.”
Alex Ebdon, head of planning at OMD, added: “We wanted to tap into the creativity of the UK media market to create an innovative collaboration that demonstrates Channel 4’s pioneering spirit. We ran our first pure “Innovation Pitch” with Channel 4, and this exciting partnership with Bauer Access is the result. We’re thrilled with this result which pushes the boundaries of content marketing.”