• by Fern Siegel , April 26, 2024

BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC Group, wants to reach audiences outside the U.K.

To ensure it does, the broadcaster launched “Made To Make You Think,” its first BBC brand campaign.

Developed in partnership with R/GA, the work is part of the company's investment in North America. The campaign also includes paid marketing running across social media, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, out-of-home in New York, especially subway hubs and cars, and two TV spots.

SwellShark serves as the campaign’s media strategist and buyer.

“Made To Make You Think” touts the the BBC's value proposition, which is intent on broader reach. Part of that strategy includes a new BBC.com site and app. A new BBC FAST channel brings 24/7 news and a daily "The Global Story" podcast targets Americans. The network also expanded its Washington, D.C. newsroom to enhance analysis of stories that impact the U.S. and the world.

Campaign imagery reflects the diversity of BBC content. Some of the BBC’s renowned journalists, including Jeremy Bowen, Orla Guerin, Maryam Moshiri, Clive Myrie and Amol Rajan, are featured.

Jennifer Ball, senior vice president of marketing, BBC Global Media and Streaming, said: “The BBC brand is firmly rooted in its public-service heritage — created to provide impartial news and information to help people engage with the world around them.”