4creative’s The Honesty Box campaign calls out the many liars of modern dating

4creative, Channel 4’s award-winning in-house creative agency, has unveiled a campaign to promote The Honesty Box, the new reality dating series debuting soon on E4.

The campaign plays on the insight that, with the advent of dating apps, modern dating is beset by lies and deceit - with the show revealing that 90% of users admit to lying on dating profiles.

The campaign challenges the dishonesty in modern dating, with a call to arms: Its Time Dating Got Honest. The launch film satirises the world of dating apps, featuring users confessing their fabricated personas through song, culminating in a symbolic "Honesty box" that silences their lies.

Directed by award-winning director Jeff Low through Biscuit Filmworks, the ad features Greg, a 29-year-old who pretends to like bikes because he’s not allowed to drive, Henry, a 32-year-old who proposes a cozy night in because... he’s got an electronic ankle tag, and other singles whose dating profile lies are exposed in the song’s lyrics. 

Other executions include custom-designed beer mats coined with questions such as, ‘Is it ok to flirt whilst in a relationship?’ and ‘Have You Ever Checked a Partner’s Phone?’, set to appear in pubs to ignite debate between couples.

Dating problems will be discussed by content creators who will delve into the problem of dishonesty in modern dating through high-profile podcasts. In collaboration with Channel 4.0, a one-off episode of TRUST ISSUES, featuring Harry Pinero, will be released on YouTube, while a Snapchat filter puts a playful lie detector in the hands of the viewing public.

Wrapping up the campaign will be radio and on-air teasers, where classic romance language and music is subverted with interruptions from the lie detector, in addition to an OOH campaign ad which sees dating-related cliches dispelled – “I only have eyes for him”, is corrected with “and him, and her and her.” 

David Wigglesworth, Executive Creative Director, 4creative, said: “This campaign exposes the dating app deceivers, the liars masquerading as singles and the bullshit marring modern dating. We’re showcasing The Honesty Box’s unique twist on dating as a beacon of hope to a world in desperate need of truthful relationships.”

Amber Kirby, Marketing Director at Channel 4, says: “We really think that it’s time dating got honest, in a way that you have never seen before. The campaign created with 4Creative is uncomfortably brilliant. It exaggerates the worst of dating profiles for sure… but can be unnervingly close to the truth at the same time! We are sure that viewers are going to be captivated by the web of truth and lies on the ‘Honesty Box’. Let’s hope the truth wins out.”

Credits 

Brand: Channel 4

Chief Marketing Officer: Katie Jackson

Marketing Director: Amber Kirby

Head of Marketing: Iain Walters

Marketing Lead: Laura Woodcock

Marketing Executive: Anna Chiarelli

Planner: Thomas Schofield

Agency: 4creative 

Director of 4creative: Miketta Lane

Executive Creative Director: David Wigglesworth 

Head of Production: Charlie Bettice

Head of Design: Rob Boon

Head of Creative Operations: John Trevor

Creative Directors: Dan Warner & Andy Vasey 

Creatives: Sofie Saietz & Simone Weilborg

Creative Placement Team: Hannah Underwood & Lucy Norie

Senior Designer: Aimi Awang

Designer: Charlie Bird

Executive Producer: Louise Oliver

Senior Producers: Paul Gleeson & Simon Glover

Senior Project Manager: Sophie McNeill

Producer: Sian Dennett & Faye Gillespie

Production Manager: Hannah Jones

Production Assistants: Cera O’Rourke & Sophie Hedgley

Channel 4 Digital Youth Brand: 4.0

Digital Commissioning Executive: Catriona White

Digital Commissioning Executive: Kaio Grizzelle

Production Company: After Party

On-air conceptual 

Biscuit Filmworks

Production Company & Country: Biscuit Filmworks UK

Director: Jeff Low

Producer: Toby Courlander

Founding Partner: Shawn Lacy

Managing Director: Rupert Reynolds-Maclean

Executive Producer: Hanna Bayatti

Head of Production: Emily Atterton

Production Manager: Daniel Linnik-Zhuravliov

Production Assistant: Ellie De Rose

Production Assistant: Yemi Greene

Director of Photography: João de Padua

Production Designer / SFX: Oliver Hogan

Casting Director: Lesley Beastall

Stylist: Wiz Francis

Hair and Makeup: Bev Pond-Jones

Editing Company: Shift Post

Editor: Saam Hodivala

Executive Producer: Kirsty Oldfield

SFX: Machine Shop

SFX Designer: Mats Rivens

Leland

Music Supervision: Leland

Music Producer: Joel Cadbury

Music Supervisors: Abi Leland and Toby Williams

Untold

VFX Studio: Untold Studios

Executive Producer: Sophie Harrison

Producer: Annabelle Jenneau-Younes

Production Assistant: Callum Brettell

Creative Director: Ben Cronin

VFX Supervisor: Adam Grint

Innovation Supervisor: Simon Legrand

CG Supervisor: Matthew Kavanagh

VFX Artists: Avinash Savant, Ed Sherwood, Ellie Risdon, Greta Kossowska, Jasmine Sarais, Manoj Ravi, Murali Krishna, Saravanan D, Shubham Mehta, William Lorenzetti

Online: Owen Maiden, Pete Hughes

Colour: Bacon X

Colourist: Hannibal Lang

Producer: Sophie Reynolds

Social Packaging: Pete&Tom

Factory

Audio Post Production: Factory Studios

Sound Design and Mix: Jon Clarke

Audio Producer: Olivia Endersby

Platform - Packaging

Post Producer: Jackie Sanders

Online: Nathan Rushby-Jones

Audio: Ben Hood

Platform - Teaser

Post Producer: Jackie Sanders

Online: John Cryer

Audio: Alex Paul

Platform - Spotify

Post Producer: Abigail McDermott

Audio: Rebecca Smith

Lucky Cat - On-air clips

Post Producers: Lauren Skelton & Jerry Onslow

Audio: Craig Budd 

Online: Jonathan Myers

Lucky Cat - Social / Radio - clips

Post Producers: Lauren Skelton & Jerry Onslow

Audio: Craig Budd & James Findlater 

Online: Chris Matthews 

Snap-lens

Snapchat x Playar

Teaser DOOH

Creative & Design - 4creative 

Retouch - Curious Productions

Hero OOH Photography - Curious Productions

Production company: Curious Productions 

Crew (Curious Productions)

Photographer: Dan Humphreys 

Assistant: Max Parker 

Production (Curious Productions)

Production Director: Tom Gibson

Producer: Harley Brooks

Styling & Artistic team

Hair & Make-Up: Artist Anna Wild 

Hair & Make-Up: Artist Nicola Day

Stylist: Eden Lovesee-Clark

Post production (Curious Productions)

CGI: Clive Biley

Retoucher: Clive Biley and Gary Marshall

Media Agency: OMD

(Video)