E4's Aliens Gatecrash Cinema Advertising

British TV channel E4 is set to launch a six-part original comedy-drama called The Aliens and, to promote the release of the show, has 'taken over' the idents of Digital Cinema Media (DCM) and Pearl & Dean. 

The ident [above] will run in the content spot at the end of a screening's advertising reel and sees DCM and Pearl & Dean’s normal idents interrupted by a broadcast message from the Alien League, rallying aliens to fight human oppression and join the movement.

The campaign was created and executed by 4creative, OMD UK, DCM and Pearl & Dean and directed by Neil Gorringe, and will be showcased on nearly 1,200 UK cinema screens over this weekend [5-7 February].

"We challenged ourselves to entertain and bring the drama to life," says Harry Dromey, group marketing manager at Channel 4. "The result is the disruption of as many media channels as possible to stop people in their tracks and get them talking about The Aliens."

“Sponsorship of DCM’s ident offers E4 an opportunity to utilise the power of the big screen to reach an upmarket, early-adopting, social-savvy and light TV viewing audience," says Davina Barker, head of agency sales at DCM. "This is the first time our ident has been hijacked in this way, but we’re thrilled to be working with them on this campaign.”

The cinema campaign is being run as part of a wider-integrated campaign in conjunction with out of home, digital, social, radio and road block on TV.

The Aliens tells the story of aliens who, though they look and behave exactly like humans, are forced to live a segregated life, behind a huge wall in a ghetto called Troy. The show will air on E4 from 8 March.