Barclays and Lucozade digital shows beef up Channel 4’s branded content unit
Channel 4’s digital production unit 4Studio has beefed up its branded content slate with shows from Barclays and Lucozade.
Barclays has tied with Channel 4 to help improve people’s relationships with money in the six-part digital series Money on My Mind. In the show, a group of money experts explore the spending habits and lifestyles of real people, and help them to better manage their money.
The show debuts on YouTube and then will be distributed across Channel 4’s Instagram and Facebook channels.
The project emerged from 4Studio and was produced by Natalie Humphreys of Glasgow-based Storyboard Studios. Channel 4’s digital commissioning exec Joe Churchill ordered the show along with 4Studio content lead Jenny Porter, who brokered the partnership with OMD and Barclays.
It’s the first time 4Studio has tied with a banking brand since it set up shop in 2020. Growing its branded content unit is part of the broadcaster’s Future4 strategy to get 30% of its total revenues from digital advertising.
Lucozade Alert Razor Sharp
4Studio also tied with Lucozade Alert for a digital comedy game show starring the likes of Katherine Ryan and Joel Dommett. Across Razor Sharp’s five episodes comedians and celebrities are blindfolded and driven to undisclosed locations to compete in challenges.
The series kicked off on Channel 4’s YouTube channel last week, and then cut-downs rolled out on Channel 4 and Lucozade Alert’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
As part of the deal, Lucozade has also rehashed part of the show into a TV ad that will run exclusively across Channel 4’s linear portfolio. The show and the TV ad are part of Lucozade’s ‘Get Sharp’ campaign created by Adam & Eve/DDB.
David Williams and Jamie Ormerod from the production unit Interstellar TV exec produced the series. From Channel 4, Churchill worked with 4Studio group content lead Jodie Miles to commission the series, and the pair brokered the partnership with Lucozade’s media agency MediaCom’s Creative Systems division.
Money on My Mind and Razor Sharp join shows including Mission: Accessible with Visit Britain, Unseen Kingdoms with The Body Shop, You Do You with Instagram and Flex Kitchen with Heinz.
The new shows follow Channel 4’s deal with YouTube to put hundreds of hours of content free on the site and then sell its own advertising around it.