The stars come out for Five
The stars come out for Five
Unprecedented cooperation by Hollywood studios for Five marketing campaign
Broadcaster Five has pulled off a world coup by securing the agreement of rival Hollywood studios to allow their stars to share the spotlight in single marketing spot designed to promote the channel’s line-up of top-rated US crime dramas.
The slick, cinematic brand spot, titled “The Drama Continues”, cuts seamlessly between the leading actors of several of the biggest shows on TV in one continuous piece of action, capturing each star in his or her iconic environment.
Those filmed for the spot exclusively by Five were Lawrence Fishburne (CSI), Joseph Fiennes (FlashForward), Gary Sinise (CSI: New York), Simon Baker (The Mentalist), Mark Harmon (NCIS) and Marg Helgenberger (CSI). The spot also carries existing footage of David Caruso (CSI: Miami).
The shoot took place in Hollywood last month on the set of each of the five series. The creative team had to ensure they were up at 5 o’clock each morning and on-set by 6 o’clock in order to grab the actors between takes.
Broadcasters the world over have always cut together footage from different programmes for marketing purposes. However this is believed to be the first time that Warner Bros., CBS Television Studios and Disney’s ABC Studios have agreed jointly to release their key talent to participate in the filming of a single promo.
According to Five's Creative Director, Nol Davis:
“The participation of different actors from different shows made by different Hollywood studios in a single marketing spot is unprecedented. But the studios and the stars themselves recognise that Five is the home of US drama on British TV and like us they see the importance of celebrating that.”
Five’s line-up of US crime dramas are among the channel’s top-rated programmes. Collectively they attract an average of 11.8 million UK viewers every week.
They also played a substantial part in Five becoming the only terrestrial family of channels to increase audience share in 2009. An episode of CSI in March 2009 attracted the largest audience for a drama on Five in the channel’s 13-year history (4.5m viewers/18% share). Similarly, the premiere episodes last year of FlashForward (4.1m/15%) and The Mentalist (4.2m/18%) were Five’s biggest acquired debuts ever.
“The Drama Continues” was commissioned and overseen by Mr. Davis and Five Campaign Manager Tessa Cannon.
It was directed by Richard Hart and Keith Gray from London creative agency Power Animal, who also conceived, wrote and produced the spot, and shot by American cinematographer John Barr (whose credits include Frost/Nixon and Capote).
The music track used is Happy 13 by London band Flotation Toy Warning.
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