Channel 4

Hollyoaks

To promote the new O2 cash card, ‘Load & Go’, O2 teamed up with Lime Pictures, the producers of Hollyoaks, and created 30-second 'mini episodes' which were shown during the commercial breaks of Hollyoaks, across both Channel 4 and E4.

The 'mini episodes' continued the Hollyoaks’ storyline into the breaks, referencing the characters and the plotline. To measure the effectiveness of this campaign Channel 4 approached Dipsticks Research, who designed a bespoke research project incorporating their Engagement Meter to identify how Hollyoaks viewers engaged with these adverts, how they impacted upon the audience and, crucially, the level of consideration for the new card. The research, with 1,200 respondents, revealed that the ‘mini episodes’ were so innovative that viewers of the soap were, at times, just as engaged with the adverts as the actual programme! Whilst advertising agencies and media owners continue to find innovative ways to capture audiences Dipsticks Research will continuously evolve innovative ways to measure the progress within the industry.