Channel 4 Highlights How Common ‘Manterruptions’ Really Are
On International Women's Day, Channel 4 decided to use a creative twist to shine a light on women - in a way that falls perfectly in line with the television network’s tone. As announcements were made across TV channels, female speakers were continually interrupted by male counterparts, showcasing that men are 33% more likely to interrupt women than men. In a bid to highlight the issue and get people talking, #LetHerFinish rolled out across every channel and social media outlet including All4 and Film4.
Alongside the online content, the ‘Manterruptions’ video put together moments from shows such as Taskmaster, The Inbetweeners, Come Dine with Me and Married at First Sight (among others), to highlight how frequently women are cut off from what they’re saying. The new campaign falls in line with the brand’s ‘Altogether Different’ tagline which encourages entertaining content with inclusivity and diversity in mind.
Zoe Nash and Sali Horsey, creatives from Channel 4, spoke to LBB’s Nisna Mahtani about how and why the campaign was created.
LBB> Can you tell us about when you first heard about women being 33% more likely to be interrupted when they’re talking to men and why Channel 4 felt they needed to tell this story?
Sali> We think every woman will remember a time when they were making a point in a meeting and a man cut across them. So we did some research to see if there was evidence to back this up and multiple studies have shown that in fact, both sexes are more likely to interrupt a woman when she’s talking than a man.
We wanted to highlight the issue in a humorous, non-confrontational way that made men think ‘could I be part of the problem?’ and take a second next time they are about to interrupt.
The Channel 4 continuity announcements were the perfect space to bring the idea to life as you could hear a woman being interrupted live at work, just as it happens to so many in the real world.
LBB> Talk us through the timing of launching ‘Manterruptions’ - why was it important to showcase the issue on International Women's Day?
Zoe> We’re always looking to raise issues or join topical conversations in ways that are both unexpected and uniquely Channel 4 in tone, so the timing was a bit of a no-brainer. As International Women’s Day continues to celebrate women and push for equality on a bigger scale every year, it made total sense for us to use its context to create more resonance with #LetHerFinish.
LBB> The narration includes both female and male voices and perspectives. Can you talk us through the decision to use both points of view?
Sali> We’re never going to solve issues around equality unless everyone is engaged in the conversation. So we chose to have a man explain the problem, to make the issue feel relatable, rather than a criticism coming from women.
The great thing is that it is a problem that is easily solved. The more men are aware of this statistic, the more likely they are to think twice before interrupting next time.
LBB> What was the timescale from ideation and content creation to then launching the campaign?
Zoe> The timings for the campaign were quick, with two weeks of creative development and one week of production. But the continuity announcement team are used to turning things around quickly, which was helpful.
LBB> Were there any challenges that you faced during the campaign’s creation?
Sali> Our continuity announcers are currently recording from home, rather than together in the studio, so it was a challenge to make the interruptions feel real and natural. However, they did a great job, like the consummate professionals they are.
LBB> You urged viewers to ‘Let Her Finish’ and we’d love to know if there were any particularity funny/memorable reactions that you saw or heard of?
Zoe> Every woman who heard the continuity announcements or saw the film online has had a story to tell about a similar situation that happened to them, whether socially or at work.
Some people pointed out that ‘Let Her Finish’ could have another, more sexual, message also. And our response to that would be that both causes are equally valid and important!
If nothing else, the campaign has made our office zoom meetings incredibly polite as everyone is now hyper aware of the issue.
