First episode of Special’s new TV series Smirnoff Night Project airs tonight in New Zealand
The first episode of the new television series Smirnoff Night Project, created by Special Group Auckland, airs tonight (Thursday) in New Zealand at 10.30pm on FOUR, and it’s already a hit with television reviewers.
Kate Meads of the Sunday Star Times has it as one of her TV picks for the week – “Last November Smirnoff began a quest to find the most original idea for an event. Over the next four weeks the winning events will screen on this lively show, hosted by Elemeno P front-man Dave Gibson. This week reveals the lead-up and execution of the event ‘The Greatest Shark Movie Ever, at Sea.’ The brains behind the idea, Tom Darlow and Beth O’Brien, had the dream to show Jaws on a big screen at night while people were watching from floatation devices out at sea. The coming weeks will see the other creative events air: Zombie Apocalypse, Paint the Town White and Gig in the Middle of Nowhere.”
The first episode has plenty of familiar faces – Beth O’Brien and Tom Darlow, are a young creative team from TBWA\Tequila Auckland – and also starring right throughout the series are Sarah Wilson and Jessica McColl from DDB Group’s Mango.
The television series was created by Special Group after being appointed to the Diageo business last year. The series is filmed by Special Problems.
Special Group creative director Tony Bradbourne told CB: “The idea is that we help bring to life folks’ ideas for amazing events – we give them $25,000 and all the help we can to pull off something incredible – but they only get one week to do it. We film all the highs and lows and each attempt makes a half hour show on FOUR.
“Why is this interesting in a marketing sense? Well it’s kind of the holy grail of Advertiser Funded Programming. It’s not an ad. It’s not product placement. It is a brand co-creating compelling content. It is the future. And it is really quite good. And what’s more it is an alcohol brand doing it in a really responsible, clever and funny way.”
Agency / Special Group
Creative Directors / Tony Bradbourne, Rob Jack
Creative / Kim Fraser
Account Director / Michael Redwood,
Account Managers / Nicola Muollo, Paula Kelly
Agency Producer / Fiona Champtaloup
Production / Special Problems
Directors / Jon Wild, Joel Kefali
Producers / Hayley Cunningham, Amber Easby
Editor / Julian Currin
3 Comments
kill me now
The first episode was awesome! Its such an original idea for a TV show which is quite refreshing considering all the crap on tv these days
Interesting idea ( for a tv programme ) and good branding exercise, but poorly executed. Host was stagnant and dull, actual idea was sub-standard and lacked excitement and personally I think more of the general public could have been engaged for a smaller budget.