C4 & Dr Oetker Ristorante give couple First Dates experience

29 October 2018

Love was well and truly in the air when a real couple was given a First Dates experience - complete with famous Maître d’ Fred Sirieix - thanks to a content partnership between Channel 4 and Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza.

The unique content aired just before First Dates on Channel 4 on Monday 29th October 2018. The concept was developed by 4Sales’ creative arm PL4Y and filmed by Twenty Twenty, the production company behind First Dates.

The broadcast content has been created to remind viewers about the importance of making time for romance. It captured the moment that Durham-based Dom surprised his NHS worker wife Amy, who were so busy they hadn’t even gone on their honeymoon yet, with a surprise romantic First Dates dinner. And in true First Dates style, at the end of their date the couple spoke candidly to the camera about their evening.

The full campaign will run until March 2019, and includes adverts (1 x 40 second and 2 x 20 second), dedicated social media content, and a competition where a lucky viewer will win a trip to Italy to visit the hotel where First Dates Hotel is filmed. This partnership is the first time Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza has worked with Channel 4 and Twenty Twenty in this way. The deal was brokered by Jane Hector-Jones, Nick Archer and Emma Derrick, 4 Sales and Simon Price, Beth Smith and Lisa Thompson at Wavemaker.

Beth Smith, Partnership Director at Wavemaker Manchester said: “The Wavemaker team saw a growth opportunity in reigniting romance, creating the ultimate ‘Date Night In’ on behalf of Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza. Finding the perfect pairing with Channel 4, we have showcased a sprinkling of real-life romance, alongside First Dates talent to create a heart-felt contextual ad.”

Jane Hector-Jones, Group Partnerships and Content Manager at Channel 4 said: “Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza wanted an authentic and warm articulation of romance that resonated with real life in the UK. In response to this brief and in collaboration with Twenty, Twenty, we’ve developed a campaign that brings together the inimitable First Dates brand, Ristorante Pizza, and a real-life romance to celebrate the little kindnesses that can mean so much.”

Josephine Skinner, Senior Brand Manager at Dr. Oetker, commented: “The collaboration with First Dates is the perfect opportunity to partner Ristorante, the UK’s leading thin & crispy pizza brand with a hugely popular show that reflects real life romance at its best in the UK. The campaign has enabled us to encourage consumers to ‘make tonight date night’ and showcase our Ristorante pizza as part of a truly collaborative ‘through the line’ campaign.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Channel 4

Channel 4 is a publicly-owned yet commercially-funded public service broadcaster and has a remit to be innovative, experimental and distinctive. Its public ownership and not-for-profit status ensure all profit generated by its commercial activity is directly reinvested back into the delivery of its public service remit. As a publisher-broadcaster, Channel 4 is also required to commission UK content from the independent production sector and currently works with over 300 creative companies across the UK every year. In addition to the main Channel 4 service, its portfolio includes: E4, More4, Film4, 4Music, 4seven, Channel4.com and digital service All 4.

About PL4Y

PL4Y is 4 Sales’ integrated creative approach; both a culture and practice that encourage curiosity and courage in ideas. Through the practice of PL4Y briefs are interrogated more ruthlessly to define the real challenge and identify the best possible way Channel 4 can add value to a brand.

At the heart of PL4Y is collaboration, working with agencies and clients as early as possible to look at what can be done differently, using a raft of techniques, tools and games to power fresh and bold thinking. This is underpinned by a workshop culture that is planned and executed in the PL4Y house – 4Sales’ dedicated creative space in central London where agencies and clients have full access to all of PL4Y’s resources.

PL4Y takes inspiration from anywhere, looking outside of the traditional broadcast sphere and forging partnerships that can drive even better creative ideas that deliver results.

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