In this first egtabite of the new year, we look back at the recent festive season and spotlight how the Belgian media united on Christmas Eve for a unique live programme, bringing together the country’s entire population.
The live show “Christmas with 11 million” was broadcast on 24 December between 6 and 7 pm on the country’s five largest channels to bring a warm message of hope, light, and connectedness.
Belgium. Uniquely phenomenal
The program was part of “Belgium. Uniquely phenomenal”, a multi-annual campaign by the federal government to boost the country’s image, both domestically and across national borders in a humorous and modest way.
The promotional campaign started with an informative poster campaign. A website in four languages shows 99 good reasons to love Belgium and (re)discover what the country has to offer in terms of art, gastronomy, tourism, sport, culture, or simply ‘the good life’. The website and the campaign also highlight the Belgian qualities that can attract foreign investors. In addition to this, there is also the Federal Truck, a truck that travels around the country bringing federal information campaigns as close to Belgium’s citizens as possible.
The organisation of the live broadcast itself and coordination between the media groups was in the hands of Alice Events, an independent agency which organises institutional events and TV productions.
A chain of light
RTL-TVI and La Une on the French-speaking side and VTM, Eén and Vier on the Dutch-speaking side, joined forces for the occasion. The positive and heart-warming broadcast featured Belgian artists’ performances at enchanting locations, aerial images of a beautifully illuminated Belgium, short testimonials, a national commemoration moment for all corona victims, and a contribution from the Royal Family. The yearly Christmas speech of His Majesty King Filip was directly linked to the broadcast.
The common thread running through “Christmas with 11 million” was light. Across all ages, social classes, beliefs, and points of view, light is the pre-eminent symbol to express solidarity and hope in this dark period and this eventful year. Many fellow countrymen had already put up signs of light in their windows or their gardens in the weeks preceding Christmas.
The idea was to figuratively make a chain of light from all those points of light on Christmas Eve. The program called for lighting a candle for the people, viewers wanted to thank or remember, or for those who deserved extra attention in their eyes.
Results
The program achieved good viewing figures, especially in Flanders. On the public channel Eén, 774,438 people watched, which represents a market share of 45.1 per cent.
Including deferred figures up until 1 January 2021, 374,745 people viewed the special on VTM. Vier reported 75,000 viewers and RTBF registered 224,537 viewers on the evening itself. RTL-TVI did not disclose any figures as of yet.
“We were delighted by the success of the show and the great collaboration among the various channels. The vast number of viewers is clear proof that TV is the medium par excellence to unite an entire country around a single cause. The heartfelt messages of hope and the feeling of connectedness were much welcomed in these trying times. It was a wonderful initiative which we would be happy to repeat,” says Valérie Van Dyck, producer news & projects News City at DPG Media.
OTHER CASE STUDIES
RAI PUBBLICITÀ, SHISEIDO, AND DOUGLAS USE TV, BRANDED STORIES, AND SKINCARE SCHOOLS TO EDUCATE CONSUMERS
2. 12. 2024Context This initiative aims to debunk false myths about beauty and skincare that often spread on social media and disorient consumers. The two brands offered tangible action to help consumers make an informed beauty choice. Shiseido, the Japanese giant brand renowned for its historic skincare and cosmetic know-how and innovation, has partnered with Douglas, a… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
RTL GERMANY’S ADDRESSABLE TV INNOVATION: DYNAMIC CREATIVE ADS FOR REWE GROUP’S INDIVIDUAL REGIONAL RETAILER MARKETING
28. 11. 2024Context REWE aimed to replace conventional paper brochures with a more sustainable communication method using digital sales channels while retaining the benefits of traditional flyers. They focused on Addressable TV (ATV) as an additional sales channel, complementing the existing digital solutions. The challenge was accurately displaying ads based on location, and showing digital flyers with… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
ESTRELLA AND NETFLIX’S NEW YEAR’S HEIST CAMPAIGN ON ATRESMEDIA
14. 11. 2024To promote Netflix’s new series Berlin, Estrella teamed up with Atresmedia for an innovative, interactive campaign during Spain’s most-watched TV moment—the New Year’s Eve countdown. The objectives were clear: generate high awareness for Berlin, enhance Estrella’s brand image, and make an impact with a campaign that broke through traditional ad norms. A one-of-a-kind approach In… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
ITV’S GEN AI SOLUTION HELPS BOOST TV ADVERTISING AND SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH
18. 10. 2024In September 2024, ITV launched an innovative solution aimed at making TV advertising more accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). By leveraging the power of Generative AI (GenAI), ITV is expanding its commercial creative production services to remove the perceived barriers associated with the cost of making ads for TV. This innovation allows new-to-TV… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
TV4 MEDIA MANAGER: A NEW ERA OF SELF-SERVICE ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS
17. 10. 2024In June 2024, TV4 launched the TV4 Media Manager, a groundbreaking ad booking system designed to simplify the full advertising process for SMEs and small agencies. This new platform consolidates various advertising opportunities into a single, user-friendly interface, allowing advertisers to plan, book, and track their campaigns with unprecedented flexibility. By enabling targeted advertising based on… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
SHIFTING MEDIA CONSUMPTION, MEASUREMENT STANDARDS, MULTIPLATFORM GROWTH AND THE RELATIONSHIP WITH GLOBAL STREAMERS
20. 9. 2024Laurent Bliaut, Deputy General Director at TF1 Publicité, recently began his tenure as the President of egta, succeeding Walter Zinggl, CEO of IP Austria, to whom we extend our gratitude for his dedicated service. In an interview with our TV Research Manager, Halli Oddsson, Laurent generously shared his thoughts and vision for the near future, discussing the challenges and opportunities… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
SHOP SMART, SHOP GREEN: IP OSTERREICH AND GREEN SHOPPING DAYS COLLABORATION
12. 9. 2024As consumers grow more aware of the environmental and social consequences of their purchases, businesses are increasingly compelled to respond to these evolving values. Companies recognise that aligning with their audience’s concerns is not just a trend but a crucial strategy for long-term success. To meet the growing demand for sustainable options, IP Österreich, the… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
LEADING IN SUSTAINABILITY: ITV’S CLIMATE TRANSITION AMBITION
12. 9. 2024While most media leaders acknowledge the climate crisis as one of the defining challenges of our time, taking effective action as a TV company remains a significant hurdle. In a proactive step within the global media industry, ITV has recently published its Climate Transition Plan, setting a new standard for environmental responsibility in media. ITV… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
FTP OFFERS SUBTITLING ON COMMERCIALS DURING THE OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES
18. 7. 2024FTP: Reinforcing its commitment to social inclusion According to the World Health Organization (WHO), almost 200 million people in the wider European region experience some degree of hearing loss. This is a significant health issue around the globe, and France is no exception, with serious hearing loss affecting nearly 10% of the French population. As… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
CHANNEL 4 INTRODUCES SUBTITLED ADS AND ACCESSIBLE SPONSORSHIP FOR PARIS 2024 PARALYMPICS
18. 7. 2024The most accessible games yet Channel 4 announced that all advertising on its network during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will carry subtitles. This enhances Channel 4’s commitment to making its coverage of the Games the most accessible yet. The commitment builds on the previously announced goal to include subtitles on the broadcast of all… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
DPG MEDIA AND GAIA’S UNITED EFFORT TO FIGHT PUPPY MILLS
20. 6. 2024Puppy mills, where dogs are bred for profit with little regard for their welfare, remain a troubling issue. To combat this, GAIA, a Belgian non-profit organisation dedicated to animal rights, partnered with Integreate by DPG Media to launch an impactful media campaign. This campaign not only raised significant awareness but also earned prestigious awards, including… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
DRIVING CREATIVITY: VOLKSWAGEN AND CANAL+ BRAND SOLUTIONS’ TIGUAN CAMPAIGN
20. 6. 2024Tiger + Iguana = Tiguan Showcasing creativity and innovation, CANAL+ BRAND SOLUTIONS and Volkswagen launched an outstanding campaign for the new Tiguan, featuring eye-catching 3D animation. The campaign was executed with the help of Re-mind PHD, its creative department Fuse, the DDB agency, and CANAL+ BRAND SOLUTIONS’ creative entity, CANAL BRAND Factory. The primary aim… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
