Channel 4 rebrand encourages people to ‘be lazy’ and vote
Channel 4 has launched a nationwide campaign rebranding as Channel 4th to encourage people to vote in the general election this week.
Meanwhile, Channel 4 has confirmed to The Media Leader that it will not be running any ads during its coverage on election night. A spokesperson said: “Providing ad-free coverage means our viewers won’t miss a thing — be that during key counts, declarations or announcements.”
As part of the campaign, “Be Lazy, Just Vote”, Channel 4 changed the installation outside its Horseferry Road London headquarters, as well as its on-air channel graphics, idents and continuity slides, to encourage viewers to head to the polls on 4 July.
OOH posters use humour as a “friendly nudge” to highlight things that are arguably more difficult than going to a polling station, such as finding friends at a festival, alongside social media and influencer activity.
Easy way to make a difference
Through these activations, Channel 4 aims to remind people that voting has “never been easier”, with 74% of the UK population living within 10 minutes of their nearest polling station.
The campaign was developed by Channel 4’s in-house agency, 4Creative.
Nic Moran, head of Channel 4 marketing, said: “At this crucial moment in time for the country, we’re proud of what our campaign represents. We want to remind people that the most powerful way to make a difference is also the easiest.
“The brand message is impactful in its simplicity and speaks to Channel 4’s purpose and commitment to younger audiences. We hope this will strike a chord and get people to their local polling station. We’re excited to bring the 4th to our audience.”
Channel 4’s election line-up includes lead presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy, as well as podcast hosts Emily Maitlis from The News Agents and Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart from The Rest is Politics.
There has been a raft of activity from media owners and the industry at large in the lead-up to 4 July. Bauer Media’s first news-based podcast, The Turnout, also aims to get young people to the ballot box. Meanwhile, the Advertising Association and Media Smart turned around a campaign in just eight days to inform the public about election ads soon after prime minister Rishi Sunak announced the voting date.