PRESS RELEASE
ABC2 has teamed with the creative talents of the Bondi Hipsters, The Bedroom Philosopher and Axis of Awesome to bring ABC2 viewers some very special branded entertainment.
The brief was for each to create 2×60 second musical numbers about the national broadcaster’s digital television channel ABC2. While the content had to refer to ABC2, the rest was up to them – whatever they wanted, no holds barred.
With titles such as ‘Difficult Second Channel’, ‘Censored’ and ‘Run By Hipsters’, the creative talent certainly delivered on the brief.
The first of the branded entertainment spots began rolling out last night (Wednesday, September 11) on ABC2 with the rest to air the following week.
ABC2 Controller, Stuart Menzies, wanted to look at an engaging way to lift awareness about the channel while giving audiences fun, irreverent entertainment.
Menzies said; “Being a small channel ABC2 has clearly faced issues establishing who and what we are to potential audiences. I simply felt that owning these issues rather than hiding them made more sense. These spots treat our audience as the intelligent viewers they are and of course give us the opportunity for a bit of fun.”
“Collectively they really do communicate what ABC2 aspires to be: intelligent, fun and supportive of new and emerging talent. They take our audience seriously but don’t take ourselves seriously at all.”
All the songs touch on commonly held myths or issues faced by ABC2, such as, where is it on the remote? “Why the f*ck is ABC2 so hard to find? … Where is it? Like seriously, this is a joke. There’s no button for it on the TV remote.” (Bondi Hipsters) *
Or is ABC2 just a catch-up channel? “Everybody loved ABC1, it had Rage and At The Movies it was fun, then they tried to follow it up with ABC2, it just left everybody kind of confused, so is that just like repeats of ABC shows or does it have its own thing?” (The Bedroom Philosopher) **
ABC2 is the home of some of the best, unique, thought-provoking commissioned Australian entertainment, documentary, and comedy programs such as; Dirty Laundry Live, Head First, The Roast, Shitsville Express, Good Game, Please Like Me and twentysomething. Themed doco nights; Sunday Best, Wednesdays Rock, Tough Tuesdays and Sex on Fridays. Plus the best of international programming including Louie, Mock the Week, Alan Carr: Chatty Man, Archer, the Louis Theroux docos as well as the upcoming cult UK music quiz show – Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
* ABC2 can be found on channel 22 on Digital Free to Air TV and 126 on the Foxtel/Optus & Austar channels.
** No it's not just a catch-up channel.