A new drama about UK teenagers, Skins was the perfect opportunity for E4 to re-gain credibility in homegrown programming, which it had lost to other channels in recent years. Our core 16-24 audience demand engaging content and a two-way relationship with brands – it was important to involve them with something culturally relevant they could ‘own’. The strategy was to build an advocate community months before launch, letting them interact and create content for the show – designing logos, making films, producing soundtracks and styling the cast. Communication grew over time, building word-of-mouth and climaxing with impactful launch advertising.

The campaign launched 2 months before the show. Online was key, delivering content, building community and encouraging word-of-mouth with member-get-member incentives. The ATL theme was ‘house party’ reflecting the show’s wild, aspirational content - more a piece of social currency than advertising. On-air ‘party trails’ drove people online where they could join the community, enter competitions and receive content such as exclusive show previews. Partnerships with record labels and community sites such as Myspace built credibility and recruited fans. Targeted press, radio and urban outdoor generated wider awareness towards launch. Members were rewarded with a ‘house party’ launch premiere.