Search results matching tags 'digital' and 'ITV'

Is TV more fun when you tweet?

2292853 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:29:00 GMT

Boring old telly has been getting a lot more fun lately, if you are using Twitter. The micro-blogging service is increasingly becoming the back channel of broadcast, where people turn to exclaim delight or disgust about what they are watching. Tuned into Channel 4's My Monkey Baby, and wondering what others are thinking about the parade of monkey loving characters? Popping onto Twitter and searching for the programme title reveals a trail of hilarious tweets, and you can add in, that is, if you actually want to confess that you are watching the show.

A television programme can come alive when you chime in with your own views, and see the intelligent, dumb, off-colour or utterly bizarre commentary of others, adding a whole new layer of entertainment experience. In America, broadcasters are fully embracing the interactive power of Twitter, with even local news stations inviting people to tweet in with updates about the weather conditions, or share views on issues. Political elections were the first and most noticeable examples of how the views of many can be shared using Twitter, as seen when Hack The Debate aired on Current TV in the lead up to the presidential elections.

For broadcasters, the service can be an instant way to guage if programming is having any impact on viewers, or, for the more clever, use the service to ignite interaction with audiences. When a show starts "trending" on Twitter, broadcast executives can know they have a hit, as has happened with Eurovision, ITV's Britain's Got Talent and Channel 4's Surgery Live.

Twitter got noisy surrounding Eurovision, as it sparked hundreds of amusing tweets about the song contest, and gave rise to an alternative tweeting voice when journalist Ewan Spence used Twitter to cover the event from the show's frontline in Moscow, sending tweets, blogging and podcasting from the event. Followers of @ewanspence got treated to extra facts, insights and a few trumpeted early previews of what was to come, as entrants paraded on stage in gladiator costumes, thigh high patent leather boots or full green body paint.

"I decided to offer pithy, humourous, pre-emptive insight of what we were all seeing, and joined 1,000 other press people from around Europe to cover Eurovision," he said.

With viewing figures of 10 million in the UK, and 112 million across Europe for Eurovision this year, Spence thought that 2009 would be the year that millions of fans would tweet about the song contest, based on the growing number of entertainment trending topics he noticed, and recognizing that this year Twitter's popularity has expanded, with estimates of 33 million monthly visits. He out-tweeted much of the official BBC correspondents by speed of updates and depth of information, winning rave reviews from followers. Several said they preferred the commentary of the renegade Eurovision tweet host to the banter of Graham Norton's debut year as Eurovision host.

"The public love it, but mainstream coverage does not match up to the public viewpoint so the Internet's communities are augmenting what they see using Twitter," he said. Listen to an Audioboo interview with Ewan Spence here.

Ewan Spence

While Spence may still be a rare visionary in how he used Twitter as a journalist, the big broadcasters are certainly wading into the water with experiments. Channel 4's Surgery Live invited people to send in questions using Twitter, some of which the show's host Krishnan Guru-Murthy then posed to both the doctors, and even the patient, on live television. Following along with the programme's hashtag of #slive, a rather surreal conversation developed with audience members, with one even asking if the patient's brain tumour was edible. Brave, risky, groundbreaking, Channel 4 proved that entertainment can also be educational, and the show did manage to top Twitter's most watched trending topics.

"What this new generation of social media brings is a networked conversation which is global, searchable, tagable and open. In other words, unlike emails, text messages or phones, you can join in a discussion among numerous people from right across the Uk and beyond -- fellow viewers, experts, medical students, enthusiasts, all manner of interested parties -- live and simultaneously," said Adam Gee, Channel 4's Cross-platform Commissioning Editor for Factual.

Channel 4 has just started a new programme incorporating Twitter, beginning to share updates from documentary film maker Ed Wardel, who is putting his wilderness survival skills to test in the Yukon, for the series Alone In The Wild. The programme airs in July, but Wardle has already started tweeting about his experience.

Using Twitter, and other social media websites, to add interactivity to television watching might just be transforming how we interact with the medium, and Twitter's founders are keeping an eye toward possibilities, with news that a Twitter television show may be in works for the future.

"Twitter's open approach might have the power to transform television -- the dominant communications receiver worldwide. We're very excited to see where these experiments take us," posted Twitter founder Biz Stone on his blog.

In the not to distant future, a new transmedia entertainment venture called Purefold from Ag8, a partnership production with Blade Runner director Ridley Scott and Tony Scott's RSA Films, will see an even more multi-layered approach to integrating social media with viewing experience. Purefold will cull storyline ideas from comments people share on Friend Feed, and other social networking websites. The programme is not planned to air on any maninstream channel, as episodes will be spread across the Internet's video sharing platforms, and brands will be invited to collaborate in the content creation to fund the programming.

Confused? You are not alone. Best stay tuned, and have some fun participating in the 2.0 tool of Twitter, and think of it as training, to get ready to adpot for the entertainment world flashing forward to even more futuristic technologies.

Watching television and tweeting at the same time,

-Lisa

Innocent until proven innocent

1725283 — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:32:00 GMT

Today is May 1st. The day that people dance around the maypole. Sometimes naked. And to celebrate we've decided to officially launch Campbell Lace (Beta.)

We start the day with a big meeting with a big potential client. It's a fascinating project, and not the sort of thing a traditional agency would get asked to do. The meeting is over by 10am. We really really hope we get this. It would get us off to a brilliant start. Fingers crossed.

Next we go back to the office to submit an RFI (request for information) for a pitch. We've been working on the RFI all week. We've put a fabulous team together. Experts from all sorts of disciplines. Our solution is anything but conventional. We stick the RFI on a bike and wave it goodbye. Toes crossed.

Now onto the next RFI. It also has to be sent off today. But Garry has other ideas. He has become obsessed with getting on the Innocent pitch. Even though the list has been compiled and is now shut. Garry is like a Pit Bull with lockjaw. He can not and will not let go.

Robert is delighted. Innocent are one of the best brands on the planet. We are unconcerned by Innocent's reputation for being difficult to work with.

When Virgin came to RKCR in 1993 they had a reputation for being the client from hell. They turned out to be the client from heaven.

Perhaps the difficulty is that Innocent have not yet found the agency that is right for them.

Ad agencies often have problems working with clients who have already had a powerful idea for themselves. Like Innocent and Virgin. They just can't accept that clients can be creative too.

Garry's Blackberry is smoking. Please Innocent. Put us on the list. Before Garry spontaneously combusts.

Valencia. The new Cannes?

1725283 — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:31:00 GMT

This weekend Robert's judging at the Valencia Media festival. It is amazing how this festival has arrived out of nowhere, and now how big it is. The world's media buyers, planners, media owners, and some pretty major clients have gathered to discuss the present, and to carve up the future. Robert's in good company. Chuck Porter's come to speak. But apart from that no one else from above the line ad land. Pity. Lord Puttnam gives a truly scary speech at dinner about sustainability and adland's responsibility to embrace the cause. Otherwise we'll all be making like dinosaurs.

Garry and Robert take their hats off to Richard Huntingdon, Adliterate blog guru and head of planning at Saatchi. We've just heard Richard has landed the job of co-hosting the new tv ad show, The Gruen Transfer with Paris Hilton. Sorry. Not Paris Hilton, James Hilton from AKQA. Whatever, Richard is one of the best and most amusing presenters in adland. Can't wait to see the show.

Garry and Robert would like to point out that they are also available for tv appearances etc. With or without Paris Hilton. hello@campbelllacebeta.com

And speaking of tv, here's some ads we did earlier THE HISTORY OF CAMPBELL LACE (BETA)

THE HISTORY OF CAMPBELL LACE (BETA)

1725283 — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 10:40:00 GMT

Garry and Robert met in 1992 on an IPA Stage 2 training course. Garry was a delegate. Robert was a judge. We've always had an intention to work together. It's just taken a while. Here's a little of the work we've been involved in along the way.

This Ian Dury ad for the Sunday Times is one of Robert's favourites. Filmed shortly before Dury died. He was a beautiful man.

Garry led the Playstation account when he was CEO of TBWA. Ed Morris wrote Double Life. Garry made it happen.

Virgin Atlanic were one of Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe's first clients. Robert made four ads with Terence Stamp. (Terence was also filming Prescilla Queen of the Desert at the time!)

Helen Mirren was the second Virgin Atlantic celebrity. She was at the height of her 'Prime Suspect' fame. Robert must have shot ten ads with her. Here's one of them.

A child psychologist friend of Robert's told him that uniting families around the dinner table is the most successful therapy. This simple insight was the inspiration behind Ahhhh Night - the Bisto Family Pledge.

If American Airlines can please the toughest of New Yorkers, (in this case James Gandolfini aka Tony Soprano) they can please anyone. A big idea that can run and run.

Robert made Cages Save Lives in 1989 when he was a copy writer at AMV. The ad was made for about fifty quid out of stock foootage. Posters ran at the same time. It's amazing how many people still remember it.

Under the Skin of Sport. Posters. Press. TV. The Sunday Times were a fabulous founding client for RKCR. The excitement, speed and dynamism that surrounds newspapers was in Rainey Kelly's DNA. Robert worked with them for ten years.

'When your life flashes before your eyes, make sure you've got plenty to watch.' Maybe we should make it Campbell Lace Beta's company philosophy.

The Launch of VH1. This 'Soundtrack of your life' idea informed all the new channel's communications. Idents, programming, playlists. Vic and Bob and a host of other celebrities starred in the ads.

Chocolate Heaven. These charming ads for Thornton's sold a lot of chocolate.

Miller Time. A breakthrough idea of Robert's at RKCR. The ads were three minutes long. Each week we ran a different one. We shot three a night in front of a live audience. Alice Cooper. Patsy Kensit. James Belushi. Elle McPherson. James Wood. Jonathan Ross. The shows were promoted with 10 second ads on ITV. We doubled the ratings on Channel Four.

At RKCR Robert pitched for and won Landrover and Jaguar globally. Here's two of the ads that ran Worldwide as a result. We love global. One of Campbell Lace's missions is to simplify and reduce the cost of advertising globally.

Robert coined the term, 'The New Jag Generation' for the global launch of the X type. A radical departure from Jaguar's normally staid advertising.

Iggy. Virgin Atlantic, Upper Class. Well, wouldn't you want to sit next to him?

Robert used to get fan mail for these Lil Lets ads. They revolutionised the style and tone of San Pro advertising. From absurd and brash to sensitive and discreet.

Virgin Atlantic, Upper Class. One of the most talented pigs Robert has ever worked with.

Who says Eddie Izzard doesn't do ads?

And last but not least the launch of Virgin Cola. "Unreal." The most extraordinary shoot Robert has ever been on. "When the director arrived on set wearing a dress and set himself on fire, I knew we were in trouble."

PARTNERS WANTED!

1725283 — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 23:11:00 GMT

You know, starting an agency is pretty exciting. There's tons and tons of stuff to think about. But when you strip it right down there's only three things to think about.

1. Getting talented,courageous, forward thinking people to come and work at the agency.

2. Getting talented, courageous, forward thinking clients to come and work with the agency.

3. Doing some great work.

If you don't get those bits right, the rest is a bit academic. So at Campbell Lace Beta we've decided to search for four partners. We have a pretty good idea of who were looking for, but we're not locked off yet. (We are, after all in beta.) Only rule is one of them has to be at least half Campbell's age. So if you have any suggestions on what the front line of a new kind of ad agency should look like, don't keep them to yourself...hello@campbelllacebeta.com

THE HISTORY OF CAMPBELL LACE (BETA)

Lunch time day one...

1725283 — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:42:00 GMT

By lunch time I'm knackered. Too much talking. What with new agency gossip and a conference call to my friends at Peace One Day. Garry's on his way up to Norfolk for the long week end. Driving one armed with a phone Sellotaped to his ear.

We giggle about the proposed Campbell Lace Beta logo. We're thinking of a maypole. It's a metaphor for the way we see the world working. All the media. From ITV, to e commerce, to twitter, dancing round one central idea.

"Isnt it a bit camp?" I muse. "Well you thought of it!' laughs Garry. I take his point.