[Matt]

I originally wrote this as a blog post for my own site, but I decided to post it on here so I could see what the thoughts are on the subject over here, and to read any ideas anyone else may have.

I know I’m about a week too late with this post, but it’s a point that needs to be addressed - how rubbish was the Celebrity Big Brother advertising campaign?

The first broadcast of an eye flash or an advert is always a highlight of the build-up to a series of Big Brother, but over the years, Channel 4’s advertising campaigns for the show have been getting steadily worse.

Since Big Brother 6, we’ve had virtually the same advertising campaign for every series, made up of a number of TV spots - regular adverts, regular adverts with pictures of the house in (house adverts), break bumpers (or eye flashes), countdown adverts - which consist of flashy graphics and voiceovers (nowadays by Marcus Bentley, Big Brother’s regular voiceover, but in previous series a female voice - which sounded a LOT better).

Before BB6, radio, billboard and press adverts were used in campaigns too. Billboard and press ads returned for Big Brother 7, which had the added boost of the Golden Ticket promotion with KitKat which saw Big Brother being advertised in newsagents and supermarkets across the country.



Things changed for Big Brother Celebrity Hijack. Channel 4 put a bigger effort into the advertising campaign. For the first time ever (to my knowledge - let me know if I’m wrong), the adverts were based on live footage rather than the usual graphics, which itself made the ad campaign unique. Press adverts also returned, as well as radio adverts, for the first time in years. However, there was still one major problem with it.

All of the advert campaigns in recent years - Hijack included - did nothing to entice viewers to watch BB. Yes, the adverts let us know it’s on, but they don’t give anyone a reason to tune in.

Alas, it was back to flashy graphics for Big Brother 9. However, things took a further turn for the worse for the current series of Celebrity BB. It was clear in the adverts that Channel 4 had not put an ounce of effort in. The logo’s star pupil was much larger than it should be in the end frames, and the red strike was out of place in one of the shots. It was obvious they had just edited over the BB9 adverts rather than properly re-do them.



Even though Big Brother’s viewing figures have been decreasing over the years, it’s still Channel 4’s biggest show, but the now piss-poor ad campaigns don’t show it.

Big Brother’s tenth series will be broadcast later this year. It’s a milestone series, and for it Channel 4 really have to up the advertising ante. For the BB10 campaign, they should:

• Give viewers that reason to watch. Big Brother 5’s advertising campaign is a good example - they showed that BB was different that year, and it went on to be one of the most popular series. This, of course, would have to tie in with a twist or format change - but that’s for another post. Yes, keep the eye flashes and countdown adverts, but the main adverts should attract viewers to the show, and who knows - if it happens, ratings might go up. Flashy graphics do not sell Big Brother to potential new viewers.
• Advertise across all media. This includes press adverts, billboard adverts, radio adverts and online adverts. The visual adverts should not simply be made up of a picture of the eye on its’ own, as they’ve done in previous series - like I said above, flashy graphics do not sell the show.
• Pay to show the adverts on other channels. The campaign shouldn’t rely on this, but it would not harm Big Brother a bit if Channel 4 was to advertise it during one of ITV’s biggest shows (e.g. Britain’s Got Talent). If they can do it for Britain’s Got The Pop Factor… and The Devil’s *****, they can do it for Big Brother.
• Promote special shows more. Tonight, two live shows will air on Channel 4 involving a nominations twist, but it’s barely been advertised (I wrote on the day of the twist in which Ben was saved in CBB6). If it wasn’t for BBLB, the media and websites like this, no-one would know that these episodes were anything more than highlights.

[Scarlett.]

Looking at those BB7 pics I felt sad at what BB has become, the advertising is very poor for it, and the main show just chucks in twists, for the sake of twists

[andyman]

Credit crunch maybe... To be fair it's only CBB, lets see what happens for BB10.

[Matt]

Originally posted by andyman
Credit crunch maybe... To be fair it's only CBB, lets see what happens for BB10.

Credit crunch schmedit schmunch. (Yeah, that failed )

Seriously though, they can afford elaborate adverts for things like Skins, 90210 and The Great British Food Fight so why not BB?

[andyman]

Originally posted by Matt

Credit crunch schmedit schmunch. (Yeah, that failed )

Seriously though, they can afford elaborate adverts for things like Skins, 90210 and The Great British Food Fight so why not BB?

Things might be better for BB10, it needs to be and i'm sure they know that.
The channel only have a small pot of money these days and many many cut backs have been made.
BBC also feeling the pinch, top gear having to deal with cut backs!

The budget of skins would have been better used to advertise BB!

[30stone]

Their advertising isnt very good since Celbrity hijack and bb9 i didnt even konw they were starting until i saw them on the sky planner.

and i saw one cbb6 advert before it started..

[andyman]

Fresh new ideas are needed with BB advertising... Can be done on a shoe string with the right minds.

[\PJ/]

I hope it will happen for BB10 it's been going for 10 years now they need to do something special.

[Brekkie]

Originally posted by andyman
Credit crunch maybe... To be fair it's only CBB, lets see what happens for BB10.

It's not only CBB though - it was the same problem for BB9 and indeed for BB8 (though their house ads were very nice!)

Yes, in the old days Celeb BB could get away with just rehashing a simple advert from the summer - but that was off the back of a successful series.

Everybody here knew that CBB6 really needed a big push to lure the viewers back and just announcing it launches on the 2nd Jan doesn't do the job.

[Sam!]

lol at how you noticed the CBB6 eye things, who actually notices that loll. But yeh they need to do sumin about their advertising.

[*mazedsalv**]

It needs to be adverised like BB6!!! When they started with an 18 days countdown, theys hould do house ads, billboard signs, in the newspaper, also like a tour, driving around in towns and cities and promoting the show.

Im soo going to watch 90210!!! Because its been adverised properly, if i wasnt on the forums, i doubt I would know when BB is on as they adverise it so poorly.

[Callum]

The BB7 advertising was brilliant, the Kit Kat idea was genius. The evictions were always hyped up and I always used to look forward to watching them, I don't get that feeling anymore. I only saw one CBB advert before it had started, BB7 time I would have seen loads, there were posters, lorrys advertising the show! They really need to make some big changes for BB10, advertising being one of them. If they don't then I won't be watching and I know a lot of people who feel the same.

[Spike]

The advertising has got worse over the years
For me the BB7 advertising was brilliant, and with the added bonus on the golden ticket it just made people really want to tune in
If I was in charge, I would scrap all the current kinds of adverts apart from the eye flashes. The whole show needs a revamp including the advertising, something a little different like the one BB6 advert would be great

[Magic]

Originally posted by Scampi
lol at how you noticed the CBB6 eye things, who actually notices that loll. But yeh they need to do sumin about their advertising.

LOL I know.
The thing is everyone knows what Big Brother is about now, so new add campaigns IMO wont make a difference.

[Fom]

I didnt even know the final was yesterday! Until I saw the ulrika threads. There wasn't even any hype on here! Never mind the adverts on TV!

[MrGaryy]

Personally I'd like to see housemate teasers. I think they would be a good way of enticing new viewers. Something like what BBAU08 did:

Youtube video

Or if they wanted to give less away they could do something like they did in BB3:

Youtube video

[*mazedsalv**]

Yep BB3 ones were awesome. They should do that.

[MrGaryy]

Ooh sorry, the BBAU08 is up now.

[Brekkie]

If they did HM teasers they'd have to be cryptic without revealing anyone. It's no coincidence the first HM BB Aus revealed in their teasers went on to win it - she's the definition of a chosen one!

[Callum]

Yeah I like the BBAU adverts but I don't think they'd work over here, I love the idea of the BB3 ones though, modern them up a bit to blend in with the BB10 eye and they'd look great, maybe use some more sinister music as well.

[MrGaryy]

Originally posted by Brekkie
If they did HM teasers they'd have to be cryptic without revealing anyone. It's no coincidence the first HM BB Aus revealed in their teasers went on to win it - she's the definition of a chosen one!

I know, I forgot to mention the only problem with the BBAU ones are that they give away a bit too much. Perhaps a cross between they two would be like just showing different parts of their face while they speak in the background but only briefly.

Kinda like while they switch between shots of their eyes or mouth and nose, ect. you can hear them say things like "I'm here to win" or "I'm desperate for fame" or "I used to man".

[Callum]

Originally posted by Gazbo

I know, I forgot to mention the only problem with the BBAU ones are that they give away a bit too much. Perhaps a cross between they two would be like just showing different parts of their face while they speak in the background but only briefly.

Kinda like while they switch between shots of their eyes or mouth and nose, ect. you can hear them say things like "I'm here to win" or "I'm desperate for fame" or "I used to man".

Yeah I like the sound of that idea. In the CBB6 housemate VT's at the beginning I liked how the camera was zoomed out so you couldn't clearly see who it was.

[Fom]

I personally dont like the idea of housemate teasers, thats the fun of launch night for me.

[Tom]

I thought the Hijack campaign was really good and definitely gave reason to watch, shame about the series itself though

Youtube video

Likewise with BB4, that had a good campaign too

Youtube video

BB7 had the best one though I think, even with the one in the supermarket and ex housemates