First episode of Special’s new TV series Smirnoff Night Project airs tonight at 10.30pm on FOUR
The first episode of the new television series Smirnoff Night Project, created by Special Group, airs tonight (Thursday) 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 – 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
8 Comments
Meow.
Shot, Beth & Tom!
Saw this on telly, terrible.. just lacks any soul… feels very, very one dimensional.
Beth & Tom terrible 11.48??? Agreed. Horrible even.
Boring as f*ck.
What are you guys talking about? There are some great bits. B&T were great.
I think some of you ^ need to check your expectations. There’s far worse TV than this on FOUR. Top Model? Masterchef?
Tom is funny. Beth is funny. Jaws at Sea is a swell idea. And this is very well produced for low-budget TV.
Maybe you ^ guys are just a bit too old and over it to see the fun in all this. Just sayin.
is 26 too old these days? I found it totally inward industry looking. Who the f**k not in advertising cares who Beth & Tom are? – They weren’t that funny and it felt entirely style over substance. May not be as bad as some of the shite on telly, but certainly thin on the concept front – and not much better in execution. I was expecting heaps more.