A new show from FremantleMedia in London is in the works to combine original comedy with the world of professional advertising with brands involved in the story line. The sitcom is about a fictional ad agency that works on briefs from real-life clients. Brands are going to be integrated into the plot that will enable them to communicate with audiences. Each episode of Buy This! straddles the line between fact and fiction. The series itself depicts the everyday work-life of a set of individuals from a fictitious Helsinki based ad agency who are striving to make the best commercials money can buy. Buy This! highlights the clichés of advertising and uses comedy as a medium to feature participating brand’s key messaging in a new light.Juha-Matti Raunio, the VP said, "The common myth is that incorporating brands into a scripted show in a natural way can be hard or almost impossible. From day one, we focused on the things we could create together with brands. We wanted to establish a platform where brands could have an active role in the story instead of being just a logo on a wall. And on top of that, they brought actors, celebrity cameos such as David Hasselhoff and of course the brand itself to the table—resources that can be only achieved through co-operation. I think everybody wins; the storytellers, the participating brands and most importantly the audience."Rasmus Bange, the senior brand manager at Fazer, said, “Well my first feeling was: nice! And the fact that it’s great that there is something new. Although it seemed a bit scary at first—to put our brand into the hands of screenwriters, the advertising agency and the TV channel—there was something telling me that this could become a good thing. The best thing is that it combines entertainment and marketing communications into one interesting package.â€FremantleMedia plans on unveiling the series at MIPCOM October 5-8, 2015 in France.
Source: WorldScreen.com, FremantleMedia