Samsung and Channel 4 make TV history with longest ‘single shot’ ad
November 22, 2017
TV history is to be made with the screening of a head-spinning new Samsung ad which will be the longest single shot commercial ever screened in the UK – featuring nothing but a washing machine cycle.
At three minutes and 20 seconds long, and preceded by a bespoke Channel 4 branded introduction, the advert will fill an entire ad break when it is aired during Friday night hit show Gogglebox on November 24th.
The film, developed and directed by creative agency Taylor Herring and produced by PackHorse Productions promises to be one of the most hypnotic ads ever screened featuring a 200 second long cross section of a family wash immersed in suds as it spins through a cycle.
The ad, which marks the launch of Samsung’s new QuickDrive washing machine, taps into the popularity of “slow TV” which has captured a cult audience who revel in the quirky joys of watching the world pass by in real-time on their screens, basking in the full, unedited glory.
The creative – ‘QuickDrive Interlude’ was inspired by the golden days of the celebrated TV “interlude” series of the 1950s, which most famously featured a rotating potter’s wheel to cover for gaps in programmes or when there was some sort of technical problem. Other films, which were beloved by a generation, included a ploughman driving his horses across a field and a kitten with a ball of string.
The Samsung commercial directly references the inspiration via on screen text and 30 seconds of sepia tinged footage before fading to full colour.
QuickDrive Interlude will launch with the hashtag #LifesTooShort to emphasise the valuable time wasted as we wait for long washing cycles to end. Newly commissioned research from Samsung reveals that the average British adult will spend 1,481 hours watching the washing spin, which adds up to 61 days across a lifetime. In that time they could learn an instrument such as piano or trumpet to Grade 5 or become fluent in a new language.
Viewers of a certain age will recognise the accompanying music as the theme tune to “the gallery” on BBC1’s 70s children’s show Vision On, which featured the late TV artist Tony Hart. The track Left Bank Two, recorded by The Noveltones, was later revived for another kids’ show SMart in the Noughties and it has become something of a turn-to tongue-in-cheek soundbed to soundtrack a humdrum scene on TV.
Pete Clark, Agency Principal from Channel 4 Sales said: “We’re really excited to be making TV history with Samsung and building on 4 Sales’ strong track record in ad break innovation. Dedicating an entire ad break to showcasing nothing but the new QuickDrive in action will deliver good clean entertainment for Channel 4 viewers.”
Samsung is supporting the advert with a full PR campaign including a unique tie up with the show. GoggleBox personalities will elevate the online conversation around the advert with tweets during the commercial, seeding the content to their followers.