Somethin'_Else_Sound_Directions_Ltd.

Somethin' Else (content agency)

Somethin' Else (content agency)

Content agency


Somethin' Else is a London and New York content agency, specialising in content strategy and production across video, television, audio and social media.[1][2] It was founded in 1991 by Jez Nelson, Chris Philips and Sonita Alleyne, and was acquired outright by Sony Music Entertainment in 2021, after a number of joint venture projects between the two,[3][4][5] with the company being part of Sony Music's Global Podcast Division.

Quick Facts Founded, Headquarters ...

History

Somethin' Else is a media production company[6] set up in 1991. The company's first production was the Gilles Peterson Show, created for the UK's independent radio network in 1993 and currently broadcast by BBC 6 Music in a Saturday afternoon slot.[7]

It is responsible for producing a number of radio programmes for BBC Radio 1,[8] BBC Radio 1xtra,[9][10] BBC Radio 2[11][12] and 6Music[13][14] [15] with The Kitchen Cabinet[16] and Gardeners' Question Time,[17] made for BBC Radio 4[18] and Kermode and Mayo's Film Review produced for BBC Radio 5 Live for 21 years.[19][20][21][22][23][24] It is the BBC's biggest multi-platform supplier, and as well as producing over 35 weekly radio shows for the corporation, it makes television for BBC 4 and iPlayer and creates social media for the BBC's music radio brands. Television projects have included the modern day version of Jazz 625 for BBC Four, a jazz music programme originally broadcast by BBC 2 in the mid 1960s.[25][26]

In addition to the BBC, other past and present clients of Somethin' Else have include the TOPMAN, The Economist,[27] Channel 4,[28] Interflora, Swarovski, ITV, Penguin Random House, Red Bull,[29] Boots UK,[30] Porsche,[31] Chivas Regal,[32] FIAT,[28] Nissan,[33] Wrigley,[34] Rolls-Royce[35] and The British Phonographic Industry.[36][37]

Somethin' Else is involved in the social media production of The BRIT Awards[38][39][40][41][42][43] as well as a number of productions for Sky Arts[44] such as Guitar Star, The Ronnie Wood Show and Brian Johnson's A Life on the Road.[45]

In 2017, it was the only company in the UK to feature in Campaign Magazine's School Reports and Broadcast Magazine's Top 100. On 16 June 2021, Sony Music Entertainment announced that the company had acquired Somethin' Else.[46]

On 1 April 2022, the last ever episode of Kermode and Mayo's Film Review was broadcast by the BBC,[47] with Somethin' Else announcing that the replacement show, called Kermode and Mayo's Take,[48][49][50][51] would be a twice weekly podcast series featuring film and television reviews, with the Take 2 podcast being exclusive to subscribers.

People

Somethin' Else's board is Jez Nelson, Steve Ackerman (MD), Paul Burdin (FD) and Ben Kerr.[52] The chairman is Tom Barnicoat[53] (former COO at Endemol group) and Jon Wilkins (founder of Naked) and Lindsey Clay (CEO Thinkbox) are non-executive directors.[54]

Selected projects

Radio and podcasts

Television and Video

  • Brian Johnson's A Life on the Road (Sky Arts)
  • Guitar Star (Sky Arts)
  • The Ronnie Wood Show (Sky Arts)
  • Topman TV
  • Online video content for Swarovski, Interflora, Orangina.
  • Extreme Festivals for BBC Radio 1 on BBC iPlayer
  • Northern Soul: Living for the Weekend (BBC Four)
  • Guin and the Dragon (BBC 2)
  • Between the Lines (BBC Learning)
  • Ten Pieces (BBC Learning)
  • Foxy TV for Foxy Bingo[66]

Social Media and digital

  • Social Media for The BRIT Awards (the most tweeted about TV show of all time)[67][68][69][70]
  • Social Media for ITV shows including Saturday Night Takeaway, The Voice and Dancing on Ice
  • Social Media for BBC Radio brands (Radio 1, 1Xtra, Asian Network, Radio 2, 6 Music[71])
  • Footballers United[72]
  • Immersive Oculus Rift experience for the South African Tourist Board[73]

Awards

Somethin' Else has won Cannes Lions, eight BAFTA awards and multiple Sony Radio Academy Awards. They were awarded Children's Company of the Year award in the 2013 and 2015 Children's BAFTAs. In 2016, the agency also won a Marketing Week award for 'Most Compelling Content' for their game Silverpoint for Absolut Vodka, and a Broadcast Digital Award for Best Social Media Campaign for its work on the BRIT Awards.


References

  1. "Contact Somethin' Else". Somethin' Else. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  2. "About". Somethin' Else. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  3. Banham, Mark (15 April 2014). "BBC Radio 4 and 6 Music hire Somethin' Else for social media". Campaign. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  4. Farber, Alex (26 January 2012). "Jez Nelson, Somethin' Else". Broadcast. Media Business Insight. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  5. John Plunkett (11 February 2009). "Gardeners' Question Time repotted to new production company | Media". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  6. "Red Bull case study by Somethin' Else on". Creativebrief.com. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  7. "Boots case study by Somethin' Else on". Creativebrief.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  8. "Porsche 'the power of balance' by Karmarama | View ad creative on Campaign". Campaignlive.co.uk. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  9. Kirby, Justin. "Somethin' Else". BOBCM. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  10. "Nissan Juke readies Rocks campaign | Campaign". Campaignlive.co.uk. 2 March 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  11. "Wrigley's Launches Audio-only iPhone Game". Mobile Marketing Magazine. 26 April 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  12. "Somethin' Else wins BRITS digital brief". Campaignlive.co.uk. 13 January 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  13. "Clients". Somethin' Else. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  14. Farber, Alex (12 February 2015). "Sky Arts hunts for Guitar Star | Broadcast". Broadcastnow.co.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  15. "Sky Arts hunts for Guitar Star". broadcastnow.co.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  16. White, Peter (16 June 2021). "Sony Music Entertainment Expands Podcast Unit After Acquiring UK Producer Somethin' Else". Deadline. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  17. "Somethin' Else to produce Kermode and Mayo film show | Broadcast". Broadcastnow.co.uk. 1 June 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  18. "Somethin' Else hires Kerr and Rivers for new content focus". campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  19. Holmwood, Leigh (2 April 2008). "Tom Barnicoat to join Somethin' Else board". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  20. "Somethin' Else appoints Jon Wilkins as a non-executive director". The Drum. thedrum. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  21. Mark Sweney (16 November 2014). "Micklethwait: 'Merkel listens to the Economist's audio app in the car' | Media". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  22. "Gilles Peterson – Media centre". BBC. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  23. "The Kitchen Cabinet – Media centre". BBC. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  24. "Essential Classics – Media centre". BBC. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  25. "Jazz on 3 – Media centre". BBC. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  26. "Foxy Bingo case study by Somethin' Else on". Creativebrief.com. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  27. Richards, Chris (20 February 2014). "Brit Awards 2014: Twitter reveals bash is most tweeted about TV show EVER in the UK – Mirror Online". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  28. Mark Sweney (20 February 2014). "Brit Awards was most tweeted about television show in UK | Media". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  29. Eames, Tom (20 February 2014). "Brit Awards 2014 is the UK's most-tweeted-about TV show ever – TV News". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  30. "Brit Awards were the most tweeted about UK TV show". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  31. "BBC Radio 4 and 6 Music hire Somethin' Else for social media | Campaign". Campaignlive.co.uk. 15 April 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  32. "launches new interactive drama Footballers United – Media centre". BBC. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  33. "Oculus Rift Archives". Visualise. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2015.

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