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BBDO, AT&T and The Chernin Group to bring back the Groundbreaking @SummerBreak series

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@Summerbreak is the real-time reality show with a difference; the entirety of the show's content is shared through social media, meaning that the stars experiences are shared the same way they are 'in real life'; through real-time Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr and Instagram updates. This year the show will also be expanding its reach to platforms such as SnapChat and Vine. @SummerBreak was launched last year by BBDO, AT&T and The Chernin Group and though it initially began as an experiment, the success of the show exceeded all expectations, with 15 million views and 10 million social engagements recorded. This success proved that a data-driven, interactive approach to storytelling and collaborations between forward-thinking brands and premium content creators, could very well be the way forward when it comes to digital entertainment.

The show represents the point where entertainment, social media and mobile technology intersect

Casting has begun on the 2014 program, which will put the audience back in the midst of a group of teenagers from southern California, leaving high-school for one last potentially life-changing summer together before college. The show will return as a fully fledged franchise and will be expanded even further by transmedia youth content brand 'Astronauts Wanted'. CEO of AW Judy McGrath is the former CEO of MTV Networks and Sony Entertainment, and will serve as a key creative contributor and producer on the series alongside co-creator Billy Parks, who will executive produce the project.

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The show itself represents the point where entertainment, social media and mobile technology intersect, and the involvement of the AT&T network reveals just how central the 'mobile lifestyle' has become to young people, and the way in which they connect and access content across various social media platforms. Chief marketing officer for AT&T Mobility, David Christopher says that the company is constantly innovating and experimenting with ways in which to market to and engage with their consumers and that @SummerBreak is  “An example of an experiment that worked.” He said that the figures for the show blew them away so commissioning a second season was an easy decision to make. He underlines that they are “Pushing hard to continually evolve” how they engage the youth market in new, authentic ways. “And it all revolves around mobile."

With @SummerBreak, the audience becomes another editor

@SummerBreak co-creator Billy Parks believes the show has been so successful because it manages to break the forth wall in a manner that's appealing to 18 year old who have used the tools available to them to “Become masters at crafting and sharing their own realities.” He says they learned a lot from last years first season, mainly that "The audience wants to be involved," and that they “Can shape-shift the storyline in real-time to respond to audience feedback”. In this way “The audience becomes another editor." Scott Bromley of The Chernin Group believes the show is testament to “The impact of social platforms and their ability to elevate the way we experience entertainment, allowing us to watch, discuss, and influence, all at the same time." He believed his group have found “Truly excellent collaborative relationships with AT&T, BBDO and Astronauts Wanted”, who all share the same vision.

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The show will be once again centred around the titular @SummerBreak Twitter handle, with the periodically released episodes being backed up by re-tweets of the most interesting and exciting content. Audiences will experiences everything the cast does via their social media handles with tweets, videos, blogs, updates and confessionals, which will roll out in sync with their daily lives. Fans will experience the parties, the dramas and the break-ups as and when they happen. We truly are through the looking glass.

Official BBDO Website

Official AT&T Website

Official Astronauts Wanted Website

@SummerBreak Official Twitter Hub

Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance copywriter from the UK who only just figured out how to set his email on his smart phone and will almost certainly not be tuning into @SummerBreak. His 16 year old cousin on the other hand...

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