The Brief:

Research, develop and create the content, run the delegate acquisition process and produce an event to communicate the continued effectiveness of television for advertisers and to highlight the exciting new ways in which viewers are using TV and the possibilities for brands in what was christened the ‘Third Age of Television’ – defined as the age of ‘me TV’, where almost unlimited choice of television content is now in the control of consumers and can be distilled and edited to provide exactly what the consumer wants, when and where they want it.

The ambition was to communicate with the audience in a way that was very different to a traditional conference; creating a highly audiovisual experience that leveraged the glamour and entertainment of television, to excite and engage people with the possibilities for their brand.

The Solution:

Sledge spent three months working with Thinkbox researching the event’s content and developing innovative ways of communicating the key messages. The recently refurbished Roundhouse in London was chosen as the ideal venue for the Experience. Five hundred senior marketers from brands and agencies attended the Experience, which was hosted by Kirsty Young.

A clear three part narrative was devised for the day, starting with an exploration of the way in which viewers absorb audiovisual messages, then going on to examine the new opportunities for viewers and brands in the Third Age of Television and finally a look at some of the new developments on TV’s horizon. Within this structure the content was brought to life in a wide variety of ways, from panel discussions to video galleries using wireless headphones to one-on-one demonstrations in the technology lab. Key to the event was the creation of over thirty videos, including content from communicating award winning brand case studies to using dog puppets to deliver complex information about how our brains absorb advertising messages.

In just over three months we produced logos, stings, animations and films for the 74ft panoramic main screen, 8 Plenary Films, 24 breakout films and a whole raft of speaker support films and compilations.

The event addressed the key issues faced by advertisers and planners and was packed with lively debate, the unveiling of new research findings, workshops, a TV playground (showcasing newly emerging TV platforms), the Thinkbox diary room and various gallery spaces.

The event culminated in a ‘big hitters’ Q&A session, during which delegates questions about the future of television were put to ITV’s Michael Grade, Channel 4’s Andy Duncan and Five’s Jane Lighting.

The Results:

Attendance was free and over 500 specially selected and targeted delegates attended. Guests included TV advertisers, agencies and journalists.

Detailed results are currently being compiled and evaluated, more information on this area will be available very soon.