National Geographic readies 'Seconds From Disaster' ad campaign

Fox International Channels has announced a six-figure integrated marketing campaign for the National Geographic Channel's new series Seconds From Disaster.

The campaign, organised by Walker Media with a half a million pound budget, will launch on August 25 across TV, online, digital and national press. It will run until September 5, when the UK-exclusive new series of Seconds From Disaster premieres on the channel with a special on the 9/11 tragedy.

Produced by the channel's creative team together with Measure Design, the campaign will focus on the moments prior to the Twin Towers attack and carry the line, "Detailing the shocking truth behind America's darkest day".

Seconds From Disaster TV spots will run across a range of UK channels, including Sky1, More4, Sky Sports, Discovery and Sky Atlantic. Press ads will run in newspapers such as The Sun, Daily Mail, Metro and London Evening Standard.

Premiering on Mondays at 9pm from September 5, Seconds From Disaster has been re-commissioned by National Geographic following a four-year hiatus. The show, previously the top rating series on the National Geographic Network, charts the events leading up to "monumental catastrophes".

Made by the Endemol-owned Darlow Smithson, the new season launches with "a fresh look" at the 9/11 disaster, focusing on "the vital and often confusing minutes and seconds in which Air Traffic Control and the US Air Force tried to deal with the hijacks and the aftermath".

Marc Ollington, the director of marketing & PR at Fox International Channels UK, said: "Ten years on, Seconds From Disaster takes a detailed look at the tragedy of 9/11 from a fresh perspective and our campaign illustrates the shocking lead up to that terrible day. Dealing with such sensitive subject matter, it was important our creative was respectful in tone and approach."

The National Geographic Channel plans to air an interview with former US president George W Bush next month as part of a special week of programming to mark the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks in America.