Three marketing/media/PR stories. Two agency updates. Read in five minutes.
   
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BBC BATTLE
With the Edinburgh TV Festival in full flow, Armando Iannucci, writer of The Thick of It and Veep has joined the debate over the future of the BBC. Addressing an audience of leading TV executives at the annual MacTaggart lecture, he effectively accused ministers yesterday (26.8.15) of trying to kill off the BBC: “they talk of cutting down to size, of reining in imperialist ambitions, of hiving off, of limiting the scope, with all the manic glee of a doctor urging his patient to consider the benefits of assisted suicide.” In July, the government agreed a funding deal with BBC management that passed an estimated £750m cost of free licence fees for the over-75s to the corporation. John Whittingdale, the Culture Secretary, defended the government saying that “nobody is talking about dismantling the BBC.” He does however believe the BBC can cut costs further without cutting channels such as BBC4.
A view from Rule 5...
John Whittingdale is determined to reform the BBC and the media world is rapidly evolving. There's probably no better evidence of that, than the fact that the Edinburgh TV Festival is 'powered by YouTube'.
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DISMAL VIDEO
Graffiti artist Banksy has released a video for his much hyped ‘Bemusement Park’, Dismaland, which opened just over a week ago. The two minute video has racked up over a million views in just 48 hours. The film, which you can view here, follows a family day out to the Weston-super-Mare anti-attraction it describes as “the happiest place on earth.” Dismaland was prepared in secret at a disused lido, and opened during the weekend of 21 August 2015. Banksy has described it as a "family theme park unsuitable for children". In addition to Banksy, artworks by Jenny Holzer, Damien Hirst and Jimmy Cauty are featured. In one exhibit, books by Jeffrey Archer, the novelist and former politician are burned each day in a fire pit. Dismaland promises to offer an escape from mindless escapism. “I guess you’d say it’s a theme park whose big theme is – theme parks should have bigger themes,” said Banksy.
A view from Rule 5...
Banksy is not just a master of surprise, he understands how to capture the attention of the media. Dismaland is essentially an art show but Banksy has created and unveiled it in a way that has guaranteed queues around the block.
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AMAZON FAST FOOD
Amazon is trialling the delivery of hot meals in the United States. The company has been testing the service by allowing its employees to order meals from restaurants in Seattle, where Amazon is head-quartered. The drivers who handle Amazon's one-hour Prime Now delivery service are being trained to make restaurant pick-ups. If it works, the meals on wheels service may become available in the UK. Prime Now has been rolling out in the UK since June, with Amazon charging customers £6.99 for one-hour delivery. Amazon has also announced that it would start delivering wine, beer and spirits in the US and is rumoured to be planning drive-through grocery stores. Uber, the start-up that is revolutionising the taxi industry across the globe, is also entering the food delivery business. It has launched a service called UberEATS, which is currently available in New York and Chicago.
A view from Rule 5...
Amazon is also known to be trialling drone deliveries. Perhaps we should be preparing ourselves for restaurant meals to arrive from the air. We're not sure that will work with the Manchester weather, though.
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SIR BRADLEY RIDES
The agency is counting down to the British Cycling National Track Championships on 25-27 September at Manchester’s National Cycling Centre. The start list announced today (27.8.15) features Sir Bradley Wiggins heading a stellar line-up. Rule 5 is working with British Cycling to promote the final National Track Championships before the 2016 Rio Games.
Olympic champions Laura Trott, Jason Kenny, Phillip Hindes, Joanna Rowsell Shand, Jess Varnish and Paralympic champions Dame Sarah Storey and Jody Cundy will be joined by 2013 double world champion Becky James, making a welcome return to major competition after a knee injury.
The three day event event includes 22 gold medal events. The National Track Championships will see some of the world’s best track cyclists go head-to-head with the next generation of emerging British talent. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.
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MIPCOM TV MARKET
Rule 5 will be attending the MIPCOM international TV market in Cannes in October, to support a growing portfolio of TV and media sector clients. Israeli formats company Gil Formats, creator and distributor of TV formats and international media intelligence agency K7 Media have recently appointed the MediaCityUK PR agency. Rule 5 already works with Soho-based TV production company Raw Cut.
Julie Wilson, founding partner of Rule 5, said: “The wins are an important development for the agency. We’ve a wealth of expertise in the creative and media sector and are delighted to add to this with Gil Productions and K7 Media.”
MIPCOM (Marché Internationale de Programmes Communications) is an annual event held in Cannes. Producers, broadcasters and distributors from all over the world gather for a trade convention and keynote presentations on TV trends and developments.
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