Guardian and Channel 4 Unite in Major Campaign to Expose UK Sewage Crisis
The Guardian and Channel 4 have announced a groundbreaking partnership today, Monday 23 February, launching a multi-channel campaign to promote Channel 4's new factual drama series, Dirty Business. This collaboration, brokered by media agency OMD, aims to bring the UK's sewage scandal to the forefront of public consciousness through an extensive advertising and content initiative.
Uncovering a National Scandal
Dirty Business is a three-part series based on a decade-long investigation into England's water companies, revealing what is described as one of the most significant corporate and public health scandals in modern British history. Starring David Thewlis, Jason Watkins, Posy Sterling, and Asim Chaudhry, the drama tells the real stories of whistleblowers and victims whose lives have been devastated by encounters with sewage-polluted water.
Multi-Channel Campaign Takes Over Guardian Platforms
To drive audiences to watch the series, Channel 4 has "polluted" The Guardian with a full-scale advertising takeover. This includes all print ad slots, homepage placements, and podcast advertisements, featuring hard-hitting facts about the sewage crisis. The campaign spans digital, audio, video, online, and print channels, leveraging The Guardian's full suite of formats to maximize impact.
Guardian Labs, the newspaper's branded content department, will publish a series of sensitive interviews with the real individuals who inspired the show's characters. Each article will include a "reading-time sewage calculator," using Guardian data to illustrate how much sewage is released into UK waters during the time it takes to read the piece.
Art Installation and Additional Content
Channel 4 has also unveiled a provocative art installation titled the Fountain of Filth on London's South Bank to mark the series launch. The Guardian is promoting this with a satirical cartoon and a video stream of the fountain in a "branded story" format—a disruptive, mobile-only video ad. This adds a visual and interactive element to the campaign, engaging audiences in innovative ways.
Shared Values and Environmental Credentials
Gabi Schuman, marketing manager at Channel 4, emphasized the synergy between the two media brands: "This partnership was a no-brainer. With our Channel 4 remit to champion unheard voices, The Guardian was the perfect platform to amplify the real people behind the show and give audiences a powerful reason to care and tune in."
Leanne Young, Client Partner at OMD UK, highlighted the campaign's deeper purpose: "This is about more than launching a TV show—it's a story about the human cost of the UK's water crisis. Holding truth to power is The Guardian's MO, and their environmental credentials make them ideal partners for this important campaign."
Imogen Fox, global chief advertising officer at The Guardian, added: "This partnership brings together two media brands united by shared values: public-interest journalism, social justice, and exposing wrongdoing. With its unrivalled scale and trust, The Guardian offers the only environment capable of carrying a campaign of this ambition and urgency."
Proven Track Record and Audience Reach
The Guardian has established itself as a leading voice on environmental issues, generating 3.5 million page views for its sewage and river pollution coverage over the past year. Its independent ownership structure ensures it remains free from political or commercial influence, reinforcing its credibility in holding water companies and regulators accountable.
Audiences can watch Dirty Business tonight on Channel 4 at 9pm, with the series airing over three nights and available to stream on Channel 4 on Demand. All branded content in the campaign will be clearly labeled in accordance with The Guardian's content funding guidelines, maintaining transparency with readers.
This partnership underscores the power of collaborative media efforts to address critical social and environmental issues, leveraging investigative journalism and creative storytelling to spark public dialogue and action.
