Derry Girls is a sitcom set in Derry, Northern Ireland, in the 1990s, and follows a group of school friends at a Catholic girls’ school. The series had attracted a cult fanbase over the course of the first two series, so when Channel 4 launched the show’s third and final series, it needed to go out with a bang.

4creative decided to create a launch campaign that would tap into the 1990s nostalgia trend, which had become popular among the show’s core audience. To do this, the team brought back 1990s teen magazine Smash Hits! for a one-off, bespoke special themed around Derry Girls. The show’s characters starred in a shoot based on the concept of ‘school’s out’, which was used on the magazine cover, as well as a centrefold pull-out poster that became the focus of the OOH campaign.

The art direction of the magazine was inspired by the over-the-top, energetic look of teen magazines at the time, with clashing colours, big, characterful typography, and plenty of exclamation marks.

Continuing the nostalgic theme, the billboard executions were designed to resemble a pull-out poster stuck on the bedroom wall of a 90s teenager, right down to the slanted angle. The unusual print-first campaign helped to drive awareness of the show, and the magazines were so coveted they featured in bidding wars on eBay.

Credits:
Channel 4: Derry Girls
Winner: Art Direction
Honourable Mention: Integrated Campaigns
Entrant: 4creative
Agency: 4creative
Executive Creative Director: Lynsey Atkin
Senior Creatives: Andy Shrubsole, Scott Taylor
Head of Design/Art Director: Rob Boon
Designers: Sarah Jones, Thomas Robinson
Creative Placement Team: Manny Labram, Murilo Freitas Loureiro
Artworker: Zen St George
Head of Production & Operations: Miketta Lane
Executive Producer: Charlie Bettice
Campaign Producers: Tabby Harris, Fiona Wright
Smash Hits Magazine Producer: Fiona Wright
OOH Producer: Simon Glover
Digital Producer: Faye Adams
Clips Producer: Paige Bentley
Senior Project Manager: Olivia Emmerson
Digital Creative Director: Christos Savvides
Digital Director/Editor: James Henry
Clips Director/Editor: Mick Arnold
Production Managers: Laura Jenkins, Max Williamson
Production Assistant: Molly Havilland
Photographer: Bella Howard
Retouching: Curious
Publisher: Bauer Media
Bauer Editor-In-Chief: Lucie Cave
Bauer Editor: Jordan Paramor
Bauer Designers: Vanessa Clover, Catherine Johnson
Bauer Project Manager: Daisy Ingram
Spotify Build: MIK
Digital Motion Post Production: Jam VFX
Animation: Pete & Tom
Social & Clips Post: Platform