Photo (C) MetroHere’s a fantastic example of using user-generated content to make a really interesting looking TV spot for BBC Radio 1’s Teen Awards. It’s a simple idea – but executed really nicely.
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There’s a little more background on the Earshot Creative review blog here.
I think there are huge opportunities for making great sounding, highly effective promos and imaging using this method. There are countless examples online of contests where bands have let fans download elements from their songs to create alternative mixes. There are also examples of online games where fans can “create” their own programme trails – like this one for the BBC’s Doctor Who from a few series back.
So – how about someone publishing some imaging elements online and giving their listeners the chance to create the idents for the station. Just imagine the creative treats that might emerge.
Deep Fried mars BarsHaving worked as a radio promo producer for many years, it’s not often that I hear a bit of production that really grabs me and makes me sit glued listening to the radio. This morning, I think I heard it.
15 hours of television coverage for BBC Three and BBC One and Two Scotland, featuring on the HD channel, 115 hours streaming on the red button across the three days and almost 90 hours on the catch-up service. All that plus highlights for BBC Two and BBC Scotland plus 12 hours of radio on Radio One and Radio Scotland. Starting on Three at 8pm on Friday 8th July, Edith Bowman and Reggie Yates will be in the tree house studio overlooking a newly designed site, Greg James will be out and about soaking up the atmosphere and local lads Ally McRae from Radio One and Vic Galloway from Radio Scotland will be bringing expert local knowledge
Radio 1 are running standard trails for this – including music from the artists performing and listeners talking about their passion for the event. That works really well .
But then between 2 songs on the Chris Moyles Show this morning, I heard the audio version of this between 2 other songs.
It’s a 3 minute promo. With one simple call to action. But it has created a huge buzz. It’s been produced by Matt Fisher, one of the station sound team at Radio 1 along with his colleague Rob Lewis. Matt told me:
We asked the Scottish listeners via our facebook page what being Scottish meant to them. Their replies inspired and fed into the script. Track is Biffy Clyro – God & Satan, VO is Louis Mellis – Scottish VO and Actor.
It’s a stunningly simple piece of production. It’s under-produced. There hasn’t been a temptation to fill it with unnecessary sound effects. I really hope it wins some awards – it certainly deserves to.
C.I.A. agent Rex Matheson (Mekhi Phifer), Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) and Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman). (C) BBC
The new series of Torchwood hits screens in the UK soon July 14th.This time, Captain Jack is out in L.A., and the series has a distinctly US feel – with some Welsh bits too to tie it back to the show’s origins. It’s as if the programme’s origins as a Doctor Who spin off have finally disappeared.
One day, nobody dies. All across the world, nobody dies. And then the next day, and the next, and the next, people keep ageing – they get hurt and sick – but they never die. The result: a population boom, overnight.
The trailers for the show have just started airing in the UK. Here’s the launch trail from the BBC website:
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And the American versions are online too.
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It’s interesting to see how the US versions go all out for action, whereas the UK version has a nice feeling of suspense, drama and then a huge hit of action too. True, the US version is doing a job to fill in the back story – and it is a web trail rather than a true TV trail. But even so, it’s not necessarily subtle. Then again – it’s not meant to be.
And the US version has a nice hint of sonic branding at the end – with a sting from the original series’ theme tune. The use of audio branding in TV trails can always be powerful, particular when it’s long established. On radio, we know it works too, but builds it’s effectiveness with repetition.
As a Torchwood fan, I’m hugely looking forward to this new series. Camp, yes. But then how could anything with John Barrowman be anything but…?
Here in the UK today (June 22 2011), BBC Radio 2 is trying out a clever marketing trick.
They are pairing up all of the presenters from different shows and genres to present in different parts of the day. It’s being described as “a-12 hour on air celebration of everything the station has to offer”.
For a station like Radio 2, 2DAY gives a great opportunity to showcase the range of what they offer to listeners who may only tune in for certain parts of the day. Of course, there’s a danger that having hooked people in, they’ll come back expecting the same every day. But at least they’ll have heard a sample of everything else that the station offers. And that will hopefully make them want to sample more. For the people who complain that the BBC wastes resources promoting the mainstream offerings from their radio stations, this is a nice example of using the mainstream presenters to help showcase the outer parts of the schedule.
I really like the style of the TV trail that they have created to promote it too. It’s a bit like one of those children’s puzzles where you slide the pieces around to finally get the full picture. It’s a nice visual metaphor and resolves with all the presenters on it as well.
JAMES STODD 