As we reported earlier, via the Internet Galactic to Mars! It deals with the daily life of Hajnal-Vasad Kft. , a small Hungarian company producing iron products, which, due to a series of unexpected events, is on the verge of bankruptcy at the beginning of the series. In this case, the company receives an inquiry from NASA.
Galactic to Mars! It is the first series in Hungary produced by a brand that is not specifically involved in content production. Speaking of which, we asked Bella Szabo how to do it
- Where did Telekom’s idea to start mass production in 2023 come from;
- why the genre of documentary comedy was chosen;
- What was the creative process like?
- how they managed to make the series entertaining rather than branded content;
- And why the theme of the series is important to the brand.
We’ve already seen countless creative campaigns and short films from Telekom, but now they’ve embarked on something completely new. How did you come up with the idea of starting mass production in 2023, in the world of broadcast providers?
We always try to innovate. We were the first major Hungarian brand to start a state-based process, that is, all units of our company work for the common goal of helping people move forward through digitalization. We are constantly experimenting with how we can create value for people in new ways, from Hungary to Mars! With our series, we are now reaching a new level in this as well. KMH Film approached the basic story idea of the series, and the possibilities inherent in the project were in line with our goals to create something new, something new.
The result of our collaboration was that we not only created an entertaining series, but a whole universe, where the characters of the series will also be displayed on our interfaces. They will present the digital solutions package consisting of more than 80 items, digital goodies, that we have selected in such a way that they all make the daily life of our customers easier, closer to the people.
At the center of the story is a small Hungarian company. What is the significance of this, why did they decide to tell such a story?
Small family businesses are the backbone of the Hungarian economy, but at the same time, their daily lives and problems are rarely publicized. We have been cooperating with Hungarian SMEs on Magyar Telekom’s Hello Business platform for many years, and during this time we have learned a lot about the difficulties that entrepreneurs in general have to deal with. That is why we were glad that with the story of our series we could introduce viewers to the life of a small company in a fun and humorous way, but also touch on serious topics. This message, progress with the help of digitization, is also the main commitment of our brand.
Humor raised several times. Why did you choose the docu-comedy genre?
Humor is a tried and tested tool in marketing communications, and only recently are brands treating it more carefully, and the series of crisis situations in recent years and the everyday problems that people have to deal with every day have encouraged us to communicate primarily with empathy to our customers. At the same time, listening to people and listening to their needs, we come to the conclusion that in times of crisis, not only sympathy is required on the part of the brand, but also some extra effort, something new, that can break out of everyday life, giving people the opportunity , albeit temporarily, but to escape from the hardships of everyday life. Galactic to Mars! This is our novelty. Telekom wants to be part of the solution, and humor and a light style help a lot with this.
Are they not afraid that the brand will become frivolous precisely because of the light style of the series?
We have also researched this, and in the course of our research we have found that this risk is not imminent. We are confident that the content does not make it trivial, but rather brings people closer to the brand. In the past, we have tried to establish a direct relationship with our customers, either through our sponsorships or brand innovations, which are not intended to make a profit, but to show that we really care about people. Through our series, we reach a new level of this direct, attentive relationship.
How did you communicate with the creators and what was the creative process like?
After we approached KMH Film with the basic idea, we considered our options. The name of the creative trio of Angela Stefanovic, Zolt Weg and Zoltan Calmancelli was the guarantee of a multi-layered and demanding sense of humor. After we decided to take part in the project and its implementation, the events accelerated, since usually the preparation of a series of this caliber takes from a year to a year and a half, but we had only half a year at our disposal. During this time, the script for the series had to be written and prepared, then directed the production process, and at the same time, elements of the marketing communications campaign arising from the series had to be planned.
Do you have any opinion on the cast?
During the creation process, Magyar Telekom worked closely with the creators, but we were involved in the processes more as co-creators than customers. For example, we did not interfere on any level with the casting. This was a project that required restraint on the part of the marketing team. In advertising, every second counts, there we have the courage to question things on a strategic basis, but this time the situation was completely different. Since I didn’t produce a series myself, had no say in the creative process, this is best left to the professionals.
How did they manage to stop making an interesting series instead of “Twenty Minute Commercials”?
This also requires restraint. Not often do you see a company investing so much money, time, and energy into something that can’t be defined at the outset. However, we may be a big enough brand for people to string us on through the theme alone. Of course, you can play with colors, for example, but we tried to treat the brand with caution, considering first of all that Marsra is Hungarian! It should be high quality and interesting content for everyone. For this reason, for example, we treat our role in the series with self-irony, and the brand appears only at the end of the episodes, for the sake of a humorous response.
It’s no secret that space travel is the focus of this series. Would it be a coincidence that they would come up with such a series at a time when the galactic cosmonaut program, Honor, was one of the hottest topics in public life?
Quite a coincidence. At the same time, it is interesting to think that since we are part of the same culture and society, maybe the same topics interest us and make us Hungarians. Regardless, we do not want to be associated with the show, we do not form an opinion on the initiative with the series. This is a lucky alignment of the stars, because I think the two themes will reinforce each other anyway.
Contrary to usual, the series will not debut on the streaming service provider’s show, but on the index front on May 2. What was behind this decision?
Our goal has been to provide as wide a range of quality entertainment as possible for free with the series. We considered many potential media partners and eventually decided on one of the most popular online portals because thanks to Indamedia’s wide media portfolio, we saw that it was guaranteed that our series would reach as many viewers as possible. As a digital service provider, we believe in the power of the online platform, and in addition, the number of quality series made specifically for the web is still very low in Hungary, so in partnership with KMH Film and Indamedia, we can pioneer the development of series dedicated to the digital space. Indamédia’s portfolio includes a wide range of scientific, entertainment, news and journal content, from which many topics of the series can be subdivided and even social discourse around them can be initiated. Through questions asked with humor, more serious answers and solutions can be found, which Magyar Telekom has always supported and encouraged.
What do you want to suggest with the story of the series?
For small entrepreneurs, digitization is an ongoing possibility. No matter the level of business, no matter what problem it faces, digitization is the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to solve it. This will also be seen in the series, where the employees of Hajnal-Vasad Kft. In using the potential of digital tools with increasing confidence from loop to loop for the survival and prosperity of the company. But above all, we want to achieve with this series content that people can relate to and are curious about, which is why we were willing to use humor and deal with very important meat-cutting topics.
(Cover photo: Bella Sabo. Photo: Kata Nemeth/Index)
Galactic to Mars! From May 2, only on the index.
