Channel 4 has unveiled an innovative trailer for Series 2 of The Circle, featuring presenter Emma Willis as viewers have never seen her before. On air from today, the promo shows Emma shapeshifting into an array of guises showing that anyone can be anyone in The Circle. These characters include a ‘more mature’ grey-haired Emma; a ‘daring’ tattooed Emma; and a bearded male Emma. The campaign includes TV, social, outdoor and press.
The ground-breaking game is returning to Channel 4 this autumn with an extended run and weekly live episodes. The live shows will give viewers at home the chance to influence the narrative in The Circle in different dramatic ways via the show’s bespoke app.
The promo, created by Channel 4’s in house creative agency, 4creative, sees Emma morph between different characters to illustrate the concept of show – a popularity game where anyone can be anyone. The trailer kicks off an on-screen and off-screen marketing campaign ahead of the all-new series launching in autumn on Channel 4.
The Circle is the popularity game where anyone can be anyone. Players can choose to be whomever they think will make them most popular with other players. They don’t get to know each other face-to-face, meeting each other through the profiles they choose to share through The Circle (a purpose-built, voice activated social media site) and the information they release via chats. Last year, contestant Alex Hobern won £75,000 catfishing as ‘Kate.’
The players live in separate apartments in a single building and play games and chat with each other through The Circle. They rate each other frequently and unpopular players are blocked. Once blocked, and before leaving the show, the eliminated players will get to meet other players in person for the first time. Ultimately, the most popular player at the end of the series wins a cash prize.
The Circle was commissioned by Channel 4 deputy director of programmes Kelly Webb-Lamb and factual entertainment commissioning editor Gilly Greenslade. The series will be made in Greater Manchester by Studio Lambert North and Motion Content Group. Executive producers for Studio Lambert will be: Tim Harcourt, Darrell Olsen, Daisy Lilley, Susy Price and Toni Ireland. Martin Oxley will be executive producer for Motion Content Group.