Ogilvy hunts partner for TV show marking moon landing

Ogilvy Entertainment, the branded content arm of Ogilvy Advertising, is looking for a partner to back a planned TV series about space.

The project coincides with the 40th anniversary of the moon landings and Ogilvy Entertainment is in talks with clients about co-financing and involvement with the venture. The eventual partner will have some intellectual property rights and access to the content for their own purposes.

Ogilvy Entertainment is partnering with BBC World News for distribution in territories other than the UK and is looking to sell rights to a UK terrestrial broadcaster for the series.

The series is a co-production with independent production company Devize and will look into all aspects of space. There will be a number of regular slots, including The Business of Space, Technology and Travel In Space, The Arts and Fashion in Space.

Journalist Katy Haswell will host the series. Haswell is an experienced space journalist and rocket launch commentator and sat on the UK Space Exploration Working Group.

Ogilvy Group UK vice-chairman Rory Sutherland says: “It may seem odd that we want to make a series about space – not exactly a cheap activity – in the middle of a recession but we feel that in a crisis you have to be bold and create your opportunities. For many clients, innovation and science could be the ladder out of these tough times.”

Ogilvy Entertainment has already partnered with IBM in the US to create a series of documentaries for CNBC and the History Channel.