Heavy.com launches first assault on UK market

by Darren Davidson, Brand Republic 19-Jul-07, 12:00

LONDON - Heavy.com, the popular US website, is bringing its brand of irreverent humour and satire to the UK with a series of web-based films created by viral specialist Rubber Republic.

The films have been developed specifically for the UK market, marking heavy.com's first wave of marketing activity in the UK.

Called The Kensington Report, the films include a fake investigation into lactose intolerance which links cheese consumption to racism. You can view the ad here. A second film asks, "Are babies controlled by aliens?"

The short films have been shot in the same style as comedian Chris Morris' notorious 2001 'Brass Eye' documentary for Channel 4, in which Morris satirised the media's obsession with paedophiles and provoked outrage from newspapers and MPs.

Joey Jodar, managing director of Heavy Worldwide, said: "Heavy can think of no better way to contribute to the UK's proud tradition of journalistic excellence than to commission a programme that delivers none of this.

"And we're happy to say that Rubber Republic's crackerjack staff of faux journalists were more than up to the challenge."

Chris Quigley, director of Rubber Republic, said: "We developed Kensington Report to help establish Heavy.com as a leading entertainment channel in the UK. We thought there'd be no better way for Heavy.com to make its mark in the UK than with some truly twisted Chris Morris style humour."

Heavy.com already has a large UK following; in April, comScore reported more than 1.4 million unique users from Great Britain.

The following month, Heavy.com appointed Lucy Russell and James Males as its first UK advertising directors.