You’re on the menu: Channel 4 serves up head-turning campaign for new Ben Wheatley zombie drama, Generation Z

23 October 2024

Channel 4’s inhouse creative agency 4Creative has launched its latest innovative marketing campaign to promote Ben Wheatley’s new zombie drama, Generation Z.   

The campaign, called ‘Generation Z. You’re on the Menu’, consists of a conceptual trail, OOH poster campaign, influencer stunt featuring Fred Sirieix, special build in London’s Westfield shopping centre, a Snapchat filter, digital audio, and social activity, including Channel 4.0 companion content starring influencer Chloe Burrows. 

The work all plays with the show’s theme where infected elderly Boomer zombies get a taste for Gen Z meat, sparking an inter-generational culture clash. 

The conceptual trail, already live, features Sue Johnstone preparing Lewis Gribben for dinner. Along with Gribben, other cast members Buket Komur, Viola Prettejohn and Jay Lycurgo appear in the OOH. Their pimple star-patched faces and ear-podded heads appear served up on chintzy plates atop of crocheted doilies. 

There was more stomach-turning antics served up in a social stunt featuring Fred Sirieix and a host of influencers. In three short social posts, Fred promotes ‘Flesh Kitchen’, a recipe box delivery company dedicated to cooking with Gen Z. Literally.  

A bespoke Snapchat lens also plays on the theme, plating up users’ heads and serving their brains to the elderly undead.

On October 30th and 31st London’s Westfield shopping centre will host a unique interactive billboard. Mimicking the poster campaign, but with a terrifying twist, passersby will have their heads served up for boomer zombies to feast upon.

To flesh out the concept further, Channel 4’s digital youth brand, 4.0, will release a Youtube episode on Monday 28th October seeing influencer Chloe Burrows pull a stunt pranking her mum into ‘presenting’ a fake documentary about a worrying new trend of flesh-eating ‘ethical zombies’.

Andy Vasey and Dan Warner, Creative Directors, 4creative: “You don’t get too many briefs for zombie dramas about the generational divide in contemporary Britain.  Flesh-eating-baby-boomers with a taste for teenagers inspired a simple message for a younger audience. In this outlandishly gory show, if you’re Gen Z, you’re on the menu”.

Nic Moran, Head of Marketing, Channel 4: ‘’We are serving up Gen Z in a playful and memorable way as we introduce a new breed of zombie to our audience.  The interactive elements of the campaign enable viewers to put themselves on the menu, and the social influencer activity and Gen Z flesh recipe boxes make this a timely Halloween treat!

Generation Z will be available to watch on Channel 4 from 27th October. Channel 4+ viewers can stream the series now via channel4.com.  

Credits

Brand: Channel 4

Chief Marketing Officer: Katie Jackson

Marketing Director: Amber Kirby

Head of Marketing: Nic Moran

Marketing Lead: Laura Bedford

Senior Marketing Exec: Annie Flood

Marketing Exec: Stacy Parris

Brand Planner: Thomas Schofield

 

Agency: 4creative

Director, 4creative: Miketta Lane

Executive Creative Director: Lynsey Atkin

Deputy Executive Creative Directors: Lex Down and Chris Wood

Creative Directors: Dan Warner and Andy Vasey

Head of Production: Charlie Bettice 

Executive Producer: Fiona Wright

Creatives: Sofie Saietz and Simone Weilborg

Director: Will Clarke

Clips Director: James Brown

Head of Design: Rob Boon

Senior Designer: Dan Daves

Senior Project Manager: Sophie McNeill

Senior Producer: Alex Anderson

Producer: Sian Dennett 

Junior Producer: Molly Haviland

Production Manager: Hannah Jones

Production Coordinator: Tehya Connery

Production Apprentices: Asia Telfer Harrison and Ruby Latka

 

Channel 4 Digital Youth Brand: 4.0

Head of Digital Commissioning: Sacha Khari

Digital Commissioning Editor: Evie Buckley

Digital Commissioning Executive: Catriona White

Production Company: Acclaimed Content

Executive Producers: Anton Inwood and Archie Manners

 

Offline Editor House: Marshall Street Editors

Post-Production: Coffee & TV

VFX Producer: Johnny Fairburn 

Audio Post-Production & Online Edit: Lucky Cat

Clips Post-Production: Platform Post

 

OOH Production Company – You Are Here

OOH Photographer – Jasmine De Silva

OOH Retouching: Curious

Social Agency: Ok Cool

Media Agency: OMD

Interactive OOH: Ocean Outdoor

 

ENDS