MUMBAI: BBC World has launched a new global advertising campaign, which features correspondents and cameramen, who will tell the stories behind some of their most extraordinary assignments. The campaign - 'Putting News First' - was launched on 27 January.
This is the biggest brand campaign for BBC World since the channel's launch 10 years ago and reaffirms both BBC World's news gathering strengths and the extraordinary commitment of the teams who contribute to the channel's output.
The campaign features the real-life experiences of journalists such as veteran world affairs editor John Simpson, South Africa correspondent Hilary Andersson and cameraman Fred Scott, using objects which illustrate the lengths to which the news gathering team behind BBC World will go to deliver the news. For example, one ad features a mobile phone belonging to cameraman Vaughan Smith, which saved him when a sniper's bullet in Serbia passed through the contents of his pocket and lodged in the handset's casing.
The creatives of the campaign was developed by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, based on the results of a research study commissioned by the channel to learn more about international news viewers and their perceptions of the BBC World brand. The results highlighted core strengths that viewers valued - quality of journalism, depth of coverage, wide geographical coverage and a variety of topical programming.
BBC World head of marketing Seema Kotecha says, "The research we conducted around the world showed an extraordinary consistency when viewers said what they valued most about the channel. One quote in particular from the focus groups reflects our USP: 'CNN is reporting, BBC World is journalism.' We feel we have found a way of capturing this commitment to real journalism in the campaign."
The brand promotion spearheads a new look and feel for the channel, with a new studio set, on-screen graphics and technical improvements rolling out over the next three months. The TV work is complemented by a series of print executions, which was launched on 10 January.
