The stories we tell are powerful
On screen storytelling has a long history of influencing our decisions and behaviours, and creating big cultural moments that draw us all in. We don’t have to dig deep to find tangible examples of this:
We have people’s attention
Approximately 4.3 billion people across the world spend an average of two hours and 54 minutes per day watching TV content (BIT, 2021). With such an enormous reach, we as programme makers have an opportunity to be a genuine force for good when it comes to normalising climate-positive action, and inspiring real change.
Image: Emmerdale, courtesy of ITV
4.3Bn
In early 2021, HIV testing rates doubled after Channel 4’s It’s a Sin was broadcast.
Following the release of Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit, sales of chess sets soared (for some companies, by as much as 1000%)
In the 1980s, US drink-driving fatalities fell by 30% after the concept of the ‘Designated Driver’ was introduced to the scripts and storylines of popular shows like Cheers and Happy Days.
And when Love Island partnered with Ebay in May 2022, searches for “pre-loved clothes” shot up by 1,600% compared with the previous year, while Google searches for the same phrase were up 170%.
On the non-fiction side, Channel 4 documentary The End of The Line directly influenced Pret a Manger to switch to a more sustainable type of tuna in its sandwiches and salads, citing the film as being responsible for their changes in policy.