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FilmFour is running a shock-branding campaign featuring a man being

hit by a bus, as it looks to build on its subscriber base of

435,000.

Channel 4's digital film channel has come up with a controversial ad

campaign, in the style of a film short film, which was created in-house

and builds on the theme of "life's too short".

It will appear in cinemas nationwide between trailers and feature films

from 29 June until 30 September, as well as on Channel 4. It is the

first branding campaign to support FilmFour.

Using the endline: "Choose carefully - life's too short for bad movies,"

the ad follows the progress of a businessman and father of two who is

hard- pressed for time.

While we are shown his hurried progress to an interview in the City, we

hear him being quizzed by a voiceover that asks him a typical warm-up

interview question of what he likes to do in his spare time.

He answers that he watches films and sport, and he is asked what was the

last film he saw. He comes up with a dodgy film title and the voiceover

suggests that in retrospect he should have chosen more carefully.

The camera, which flashes between his journey to the interview and shots

of him against a stark white background, then shows the man crossing the

street without looking and being hit by a bus.

His body is flung back on to a windscreen before the closing strapline

is flashed up.

We realise that he is being interviewed in heaven and he answers that in

retrospect he wishes he had chosen his films more carefully.

The TV version of the ad will run after the 9pm watershed and will not

show the body crashing through the windscreen. The 60-second ad was

written and directed by Brett Foraker, the creative director of

FilmFour, and Tori Garrett, the deputy creative director.

It was produced by Charlie Read at 4Creative, Channel 4's recently

established commercial arm of Commercial services. Media is by OMD

UK.

David Brook, the director of strategy and development at Channel 4,

said: "Pushing the boundaries is what Channel 4 does best, and what

audiences in cinema and television expect us to do. This film perfectly

captures the flavour of FilmFour."