Emma Willis transforms in new Channel 4 teaser campaign for The Circle

23 August 2019

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.

View the full trail here: https://youtu.be/pNAX7H0sYpY

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.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

 

4CREATIVE CREDITS
Campaign Title	Anyone Can Be Anyone
On-Air / Off-Air / Digital / Social	On Air / Off-Air / Social

 

 

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
MARKETING
Controller of Marketing & Media	James Walker
Group Marketing Manager	Grace Ayres
Marketing Manager	Sean Boles