P1 Existing Advertisement Campaign

Killing Eve (Series 4):

Aims and Objectives:

The primary aim of the advertising campaign for Killing Eve series 4 is to promote the new series, both to the existing audience as well as people who haven't seen the previous series' and may be inspired to go back and watch it. The BBC also hopes to create an awareness of the show to a wider audience through a range of advertisements. One objective of the campaign was to persuade the audience to be interested in watching the show and thus increase the viewing figures. The first series of the show reached over 8 million viewers within the first month of release, this means that throughout the subsequent series they would be aiming for even higher numbers and therefore need to attract the attention of a wider audience. 

Target Audience:

Killing Eve is commonly rated as 15+ due to its heavily violent and sexual themes. The key demographic is adults aged 18-54 in the UK and America. It was produced in the UK but distributed on BBC3 as well as BBC America which expanded its audience to the US. The audience is likely to be predominately female due to both of the main characters being women, typically shows in the crime/thriller genre have a male protagonist and thus a male audience but this show subverts this and therefore will appeal further to the female audience. Furthermore, they would typically be around the C1 to E socio-economic category due to the fact it is widely accessible to everyone and the characters are more similar to these people rather than higher class people. The show appeals to reformers as its themes often relate to social issues and explorers because it is an adventurous and innovative show. 

Slogan:

As a whole, the show doesn't appear to have a specific slogan. In the trailer for this series they include the phrase 'till death do us part', this is a reference to marriage which ties in with the romance themes of the show. In addition, its use for the final series suggests that it could refer to how it will end and acts as a grip for the audience to want to watch the show in order to find out what happens. 

Key Messages:

The key messages of the advertising campaign are surrounding the fact it is the final season of the show. They're trying to show the audience that the series will conclude loose ends from previous series whilst still being the same thrilling show that they had enjoyed. The producers want the audience to feel the show will be exciting and therefore want to watch the new series. 

Approach:

The primary approach for advertising this product was through a TV trailer which gave a taste of the show. Within the advert there are a few shocking moments which would grip the audience, the show is highly dramatic which they illustrate through the advert and this means it will appeal to their target audience. They used celebrity endorsement through their chocolate box challenge which was sent to influencers. In addition, the two main characters, as well as being memorable from the show, are played by very famous actors (Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh) so by featuring them in the campaign they attract their fans. 

Call to Action:

The aim of the campaign is to convince the audience to watch the series, either as it is released or on BBC iPlayer/other streaming services in their own time. They also want the viewers to engage on social media in order to receive feedback and generate further attention for the show. 

Representation:

The main representation in the trailer for series 4 is of the two main characters, one of whom is a Russian assassin which therefore plays up to stereotypes. Outside of this, there are characters such as police officers, doctors and priests who are represented in a fair way that won't offend anyone involved in these groups. The producers can choose to represent the characters however they want as they are fictional. 

Campaign Logistics:

The advertising campaign for this show uses the start-up pulsing model, meaning it uses the flighting model initially to push the new product then the continuity model after it has been released for a while. The majority of the campaign came out around February-April 2022 which is when the series was initially released. This means that when it was released there was heavy attention on the show, after this the trailer would still be shown occasionally and clips were still being released on YouTube, even up to November 2022, which would remind the audience of the show despite the campaign slowing down. The release of the podcast on the same days the episodes came out would inspire the audience to watch it on that day so they could then listen to the podcast.

Choice of Media:

The primary form of media used for advertising this show is a TV trailer which can also be accessed on YouTube or BBC iPlayer, this appeals to the wider audience because it can be seen by an older audience on TV in between other shows or the younger audience online. 

In addition to this, as part of the BBC Sounds podcast series 'Obsessed with...' two fans of the show dissect each episode. This acts as advertisement because it inspires the audience to watch/rewatch the show so they can feel part of the conversation. Podcasts are popular among young adults and therefore this aims to reach the younger segment of the audience.

Along with the trailer, the BBC created a YouTube channel specifically for the show on which they post clips from the show. This again appeals to the younger audience, by uploading exciting clips from the show it hopes to grip new viewers. They continue to upload clips well after the final episodes release, this will remind the audience of the show and possibly make them want to rewatch it. In the description of the clips they encourage the audience to subscribe to the channel, this will mean when future clips are released they will be aware and once again be reminded of the show.

One way Killing Eve used social media as promotion was through the release of a box of chocolates in which one of the chocolates has been laced with 'poison' (hot chili), these were sent to influencers in the hopes they would show them on their platform and take part in the challenge. This aspect of the campaign was used to interest a new audience who may not have heard of the show before because the people they were sent to have a large audience that is different to the show's audience. 

Another unique part of the campaign was the use of a window display in the centre of Liverpool which showed outfits from throughout all of the series. Due to this being on a busy high street, it would have been seen by a large amount of people, many of whom hadn't yet watched the series but it may inspire them to. Furthermore, it can remind the existing audience of the show and inspire them to go back and rewatch it. 

The BBC has a page on their website dedicated to Killing Eve. This includes the episodes, clips from the show, character profiles and a link to the podcast. This creates a hub for fans of the show to visit to become more invested in the show and feel a stronger connection to it. The page also includes unique features such as articles relating to the show and an alarm audio file which can be downloaded for free and the audience can wake up to the voice of one of the characters. Overall, they are hoping to strengthen the audience's interest in the show by giving them more to look into outside of watching the show. 

Another form of advertisement is through social media such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. The BBC created an official Killing Eve account across multiple platforms on which they shared clips from the show as well as behind the scenes and reminders of when the show was being released. By using these accounts, the audience becomes more involved in the show and they are encouraged to go and watch it. This is aimed primarily at the younger audience as these are the people who are likely to use social media. 

Legal and Ethical Issues:

The ASA in association with CAP created a set of regulations for broadcasting (BCAP), this includes area such as social responsibility, legality, misleading advertisement, harm and offence and privacy. For example, when producing the trailer the producers need to consider whether it is painting a false picture of the show, such as using clips that aren't in the actual show, which may mislead the audience. Throughout the campaign they must ensure they aren't breaching laws such as copyright infringement or defamation, for this reason the campaign is unlikely to include any real life products/brands unless they have a connection to the show and the companies permission. 

Regulatory Bodies:

The producers would have to consider the requirements of regulatory bodies such as OFCOM and the ASA. The ASA are responsible for regulating advertisements in the UK under their CAP and BCAP rules, they are funded by the advertising industry. They monitor advertisements as well as taking complaints and they work with the industry to ensure ads are safe to be shown. OFCOM is responsible for the regulation of the actual show under their codes. The BBC has to stick to these codes for the show to be broadcast and therefore they have to comply to these codes in their TV adverts. OFCOM is also responsible for online content so they will also regulate anything on social media.