Channel 4 has unveiled an innovative trailer for Series 2 of The Circle, featuring presenter Emma Willis as viewers have never seen her before. On air from today (Friday 23 August), the promo shows Emma shapeshifting into an array of guises showing that anyone can be anyone in The Circle. These characters include a ‘more mature’ grey-haired Emma; a ‘daring’ tattooed Emma; and a bearded male Emma. The campaign includes TV, social, outdoor and press.
The ground-breaking game is returning to Channel 4 this autumn with an extended run and weekly live episodes. The live shows will give viewers at home the chance to influence the narrative in The Circle in different dramatic ways via the show’s bespoke app.
The promo, created by Channel 4’s inhouse creative agency 4creative, in partnership with Nexus Studios and directors Smith & Foulkes, sees Emma morph between different characters to illustrate the concept of show – a popularity game where anyone can be anyone. The trailer kicks off an on-screen and off-screen marketing campaign ahead of the all-new series launching in autumn on Channel 4.
The Circle is the popularity game where anyone can be anyone. Players can choose to be whomever they think will make them most popular with other players. They don’t get to know each other face-to-face, meeting each other through the profiles they choose to share through The Circle (a purpose-built, voice activated social media site) and the information they release via chats. Last year, contestant Alex Hobern won £75,000 catfishing as ‘Kate’.
The players live in separate apartments in a single building and play games and chat with each other through The Circle. They rate each other frequently and unpopular players are blocked. Once blocked, and before leaving the show, the eliminated players will get to meet other players in person for the first time. Ultimately, the most popular player at the end of the series wins a cash prize.
The Circle was commissioned by Channel 4 Deputy Director of Programmes Kelly Webb-Lamb and Factual Entertainment Commissioning Editor Gilly Greenslade. The series will be made in Greater Manchester by Studio Lambert North and Motion Content Group. Executive producers for Studio Lambert will be: Tim Harcourt, Darrell Olsen, Daisy Lilley, Susy Price and Toni Ireland. Martin Oxley will be executive producer for Motion Content Group.
4CREATIVE CREDITS
Campaign Title
Anyone Can Be Anyone
CREATIVE
Acting Head of 4creative
Chris Wood
Executive Creative Director
Alice Tonge
Creatives
Jonas Roth (On Air)
Rasmus Smith Bech (On Air)
Jim Chambers (Off Air)
Director
Smith & Foulkes @ Nexus Studios
Designer
Aimi Awang
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
Business Director
Jane English
PRODUCTION
Head of Production
Clare Brown
Executive Producer
Shananne Lane
Producer (4creative)
Selena Cunningham (On Air)
Shizuka Hata (Off Air)
Producer (Nexus Studios)
Tracey Cooper
Production Manager (Nexus Studios)
Rebecca Archer
Project Manager
Olivia Emmerson
Photographer
Andy Lo Pó
Retouching
Stuart Frost @ Curious
Director of Photography
Simon Richards
Production Company
Nexus Studios
VFX
Nexus Studios
Audio
Factory
DIGITAL
Executive Producer
Christos Savvides
Digital Producer
Madeleine Smith
Digital Production Assistant
Jasmine Stradling
Social Video Director
Charles Barclay
Lewis Mengo
Controller of Marketing & Media
James Walker
Group Marketing Manager
Grace Ayres
Marketing Manager
Sean Boles
