James R | On 30, Jun 2015

Channel 4 is stepping up its shorts ambitions through a new partnership with Fosters.

The broadcast has commissioned a new series of shorts, titled Helluva Tour, which will follow a cast of four strangers as they take on the road trip of a lifetime. Crammed into a pimped up camper van their 17,000 mile journey will be filmed all the way from the UK to Australia – where Foster’s was first brewed in 1888.

The five-minute films will launch exclusively on All 4 this autumn, as part of Channel 4’s dedicated digital Shorts platform. Indeed, the broadcaster has enjoyed much success with its short-form initiative, which is designed to bring together both its VOD service and commercial sponsorship. Since its launch last summer, Channel 4 has racked up over 3 million shorts views. This month, Sony has released an eight-part Shorts series Misbehaving in Chelsea on All 4, which focuses on the Made in Chelsea’s cast and their love of pranking each other, joining a list of brand partners that includes Rimmel London, Alfa Romeo and British Gas.

Helluva Tour, which was commissioned by Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor for Multiplatform & Online Video, Jody Smith, was devised with creative agency adam&eveDDB and is part of a new multi-platform campaign from the Australian beer since the brand bid farewell to “Brad and Dan”.

Produced by Alleycats, the shorts will be captured through a mix of fixed-rig cameras and contributor filming, as people get the chance to be cast in the series through a mysterious touring telephone box that will pop up in key cities up and down the country.

It forms part of Foster’s wider partnership with Original Comedy on 4, which was brokered by Channel 4 Sales and Starcom Mediavest Group – announced earlier this year – who have also helped develop the tour.

The shorts will premiere exclusively on All4 this autumn, alongside behind the scenes footage. In a first for branded Shorts, they will also be broadcast on air later this year on Channel 4 and E4.

The announcement follows the creation of a new lead role in its partnerships team, which will be chiefly responsible for the development and implementation stages of the advertiser-funded shorts.

Jonathan Lewis, Head of Digital Innovation and Partnerships at Channel 4, comments: “Shorts offer advertisers a unique opportunity to create great video content which successfully engages our young viewers wherever they’re watching TV. This newly created position will enable us to expand our work with brands in this key growth area to manage demand and help us drive our ambitious innovation agenda even further.”

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