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Fake TV show by fake agency are being sold worldwide

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TBWA Helsinki has teamed up with Fremantle Media, the producers of hit American reality shows such as “American Idol” and “The X Factor” to produce ad campaigns for the Finnish ad agency sitcom “Buy This!” (“Brändärit” in Finnish) that will also run outside the show, producing a unique mix of fact and fiction. The show, which (I'm assured) is far more than simply “Mad Men” with canned laughter, follows the trials and tribulations of the fictional agency Mainostoimistro Huutomerkki, and features guest stars such as David Hasselhoff and Hanoi Rock frontman Michael Monroe. The concept behind the show is simple; first, marketers provide the show-runners at Fremantle with a brief and the writers at Fremantle build the 30-minute episode around it. These campaigns feature real brands, such as Nissan and Lidl, and bleed out into the real world.

The show follows the trials and tribulations of the fictional agency Mainostoimistro Huutomerkki, and features guest stars such as David Hasselhoff and Michael Monroe

Each of the shows feature a different brand, only three of which are actually TBWA Helsinki clients. Theodor Arhio, creative director and head of digital at the agency, said he has found it “Much easier to get meetings when you are talking to marketers about a TV show they can be part of,” which is a good job considering the team only had five week last November to secure marketers. The 10 marketers (who are all part of the top 15 in Finland) promote the show through their own digital platforms and social media, which has helped the show become a genuine success in its Sunday primetime slot on MTV3, Finland's biggest commercial channel.

The trailer for Buy This!

Indeed, the success of “Buy This!” has impressed everyone at the agency so much that Arhio is currently working at MIPCOM in Cannes, attempting to take the sitcom worldwide. The format has already been sold to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand, and the team is also in talks to bring the format, which is co-owned by TBWA Helsinki, to the US and the UK. The idea is for the Helsinki office to work with local TBWA agencies in every country where the show is eventually broadcast. All 10 episodes of the series were shot in the space of a month this summer in a bespoke “Advertising factory” in Lithuania, with just a couple of days used for location shots in Turkey and Finland. The self contained nature of the production meant it was surprisingly cost-effective.

All 10 episodes of the series were shot in the space of a month this summer in a bespoke “Advertising factory” in Lithuania, with just a couple of days used for location shots

Juha-Matti Raunio, VP head of the agency's innovation unit Pilot, said that “Clients come on board with the attitude that they want to make something happen,” and feels that this format allows them “To let loose,” and encourages them to “Experiment more and create a new kind of campaign.” She said they have already used the show to look at ideas like “What would happen if you sell a brand to women instead of men.” Arhio adds that he understand people might believe they are poking fun at the industry and biting the hand that feeds them, but he knows that “The audience understands it's a sitcom with fictional characters and strange commercials.” Rasmus Bange, former TBWA executive and senior brand manager at Fazer, who are the subject of one of the 10 episodes, said that although he was a little hesitant about putting his brand into the hands of screenwriters, he felt it could become a big thing. He believes “The best thing is that it combines entertainment and marketing communications into one interesting package,” a package that I for one will be keeping an eye on for the foreseeable future.

Official TBWA Helsinki Website

Official Fremantle Media Website

Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer, musician and sitcom aficionado from the UK.

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