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
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
ITV LAUNCH TWO CREATIVE AD BREAKS TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY (GAAD)
23. 5. 2024On the occasion of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), ITV launched two creative ad breaks designed to raise awareness about accessibility and inclusion. These ad breaks were featured on ITV1 and during “This Morning,” a daytime talk show. With 12 million adults in the UK living with deafness, hearing loss, or tinnitus, and over 2… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY: HIGHLIGHTING THE VALUE OF SIGN LANGUAGE AND SUBTITLES ON TV
23. 5. 2024Globally, over one billion people live with disabilities. According to the latest data from the National Centre for Public Health and Analysis, the number of people diagnosed with “deafness” in Bulgaria in 2022 is close to 3000. Although a sign language law was adopted only three years ago to official recognise BGSL (Bulgarian Sign Language)… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
NEW ATTENTION RESEARCH FROM FRENCH TV TRADE BODY SNPTV
18. 4. 2024SNPTV, the trade body representing TV sales houses in France, embarked on a journey to unravel the mysteries of audience attention within the ever-evolving landscape of TV and video advertising. In an era marked by unprecedented fragmentation in media consumption, understanding the attention of consumers has emerged as a key metric for advertisers. With an… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
DEGREE US: ‘NOT DONE YET’ CAMPAIGN WITH AD AND OPEN CAPTIONS
29. 3. 2024Background More than 60 million people in the US live with a disability, yet products and experiences are still not designed with this community in mind. Degree Inclusive packaging and inclusive advertising ensure that people with disabilities have an equal playing field. Creative Degree® is committed to inspiring the confidence in everyone to move beyond… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
BRIDGING BRAND, CONTENT, AND AUDIENCE VALUES – RAI PUBBLICITÀ’S INNOVATIVE VALUE PLANNING TOOL
22. 3. 2024Rai Pubblicità’s ‘Value Planning’ initiative, showcased at egta’s MIM (Market Intelligence Meeting) in Madrid, aims to bridge the gap between the values reflected in media content and the evolving values of our society. This unique approach represents a significant step forward in understanding how audience values intersect with Rai’s editorial content. Developed in collaboration with… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BROADCAST SPONSORSHIP: CHANNEL 4 SALES’ SPONSORSHIP ROCKS
21. 3. 2024In a landscape where brand safety and transparency are paramount concerns within the media industry, Channel 4 Sales has recently unveiled the results of its exclusive Sponsorship Rocks study. This comprehensive analysis provides compelling insights for brands navigating the complex world of advertising. Over almost 240 sponsorships and 666 waves of research involving more than… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
CANAL+ BRAND SOLUTIONS’ INNOVATIVE AI ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN FOR AUDI CREATES A WINTER WONDERLAND ON SCREENS
15. 2. 2024In a groundbreaking move that seamlessly combines technology, creativity, and automotive innovation, the creative entity of Canal+ Brand Solutions recently unveiled a captivating advertising campaign for the new Audi SQ8 Sportback e-tron and its e-quattro technology. The French-based team, in collaboration with Re-Mind PHD, Brand Content Fuse, and Canal Brand Factory, introduced an innovative television… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
THE MASKED SINGER: DPG MEDIA AND JBC’S CREATIVE COLLABORATION
15. 2. 2024While business partnerships and collaborations are key, joining forces in showcasing creativity can prove to be quite challenging, yet equally rewarding. Such was the case with the constructive partnership between DPG Media and Belgian fashion retailer JBC. The companies pulled off a successful collaborative campaign combining the fame of The Masked Singer competition with the… Continue reading EGTABITE 325: HOW THE BELGIAN MEDIA CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS WITH 11 MILLION PEOPLE
