Saturday, February 4th, 2012
Ogilvy Entertainment, the branded content arm of Ogilvy Advertising, in association with independent production company, Devize, has entered collaboration with BBC World News to develop a new topical magazine series about space.
The series has a working title of Frontiers and will look into all aspects of space and space exploration, focusing on how developments in space have a direct effect on our lives here on Earth.
Frontiers will have a number of regular slots, including: the business of space; science and technology; travel; the arts; spin-offs from space; medicine; and the ?Space Weather Forecast.?
The series will be presented by journalist Katy Haswell, who sat on the UK Space Exploration Working Group and is a regular in the corridors of the European Space Agency. She also hosts the TV programs during rocket launches from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.
Katy believes the show’s format will entice younger people to study science at both school and university. Currently there are concerns that both schools and colleges are not seeing enough interest in the sciences.
"Humankind is on the brink of a new age in exploration with the world’s space agencies planning to further explore the Solar System, discover other planets and build a whole new economy in space," she says.
"With ESA announcing the next batch of astronauts and the UK contemplating its own space agency, the time is right for a topical series to cover these exciting stories as they unfold. Research dictates that we are in the early stages of Man’s next great adventure ? just like Europe in Medieval times."
Ogilvy Entertainment is currently in discussions with a number of its clients regarding their involvement.
"It may seem odd that we want to make a series about space?not exactly a cheap activity?in the middle of the worst recession in living memory, but Ogilvy Entertainment and Devize Productions strongly feel that in a crisis you have to be bold and create your own opportunities,? says Rory Sutherland, vice-chairman of Ogilvy Group UK.
"For many of our clients innovation and science could be the ladder that gets them out of recession. And it is surprising how quickly cutting-edge technologies developed for space trickle down into everyday applications that can have an affect on all our lives."
Paul Gibbs, head of programming at BBC World News television says, "Few people grasp the size and importance of the world’s space industry. It’s not confined to moon landings and photographs of distant planets. Every week there are events worth reporting from around the world. BBC World News would be the first global channel to take space seriously."
