Making It Australia’s Susie Youssef on why show will be a hit and what it provides to advertisers
Comedians Susie Youssef and Harley Breen are hosts of Ten’s new crafting and DIY competition Making It Australia, which premieres tomorrow, 15 September, at 7.30pm on Ten and Ten Play on demand.
From sewing to woodworking, papercrafts to pottery, and carving to crocheting, Making It Australia is the new series that brings together Australia’s ‘makers’ to showcase their artistic talents.
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Speaking with Mumbrella, Youssef said she believes this series will appeal to a wider audience due to its diverse cast and because more Australians are turning to crafting or DIY amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Anyone who loves to make, or loves to observe someone creating something will love this show. There are so many people at work who are creating, but also a lot of people at home creating, whether it be up-cycling or doing stuff in their own houses or sheds. This show has the full spectrum of those types of makers. It’s really exciting to see all these types of disciplines and people who work with different materials come together and interpret challenges in different ways.”
Youssef added that the show’s format is “different” to other entertainment formats as its “refreshing” as it “attempts to be less serious” than other primetime programs.
“You’ll notice throughout the show that the competitive element is really just to keep the show going, they all help each other out. It’s a really lovely group of people, and it’s so refreshing to see in a TV show, especially with what’s going on in the world with the pandemic. I think people want to escape what’s going on at the moment, but also be inspired and get ideas to make their own stuff.
“People need to have a laugh and not take themselves too seriously, it’s so bright and colourful, really energetic, so I think this show will really resonate with a large audience here in Australia, which is great news for advertisers.”
The makers (contestants) are from different ages and from different backgrounds, which Youssef said would help it appeal to a wider audience, and thus a broad spectrum of consumers for brands to tap into.
“We were very lucky to be partnered with amazing companies like Spotlight and Bunnings,” she added. “At the same time there’s a huge encouragement to look at stuff that you already have, and recreate or up-cycle things. There’s a big emphasis on DIY, and we know how much it is a big trend at the moment.”
Making It Australia’s co-hosts Susie Youssef (left) and Harley Breen (right)
In April 2020, a trends report from Google Trends showed that searches for DIY had spiked globally since the beginning of the pandemic, with Australia and New Zealand among the top ten countries showing increased interest. It also noted that 52% of Australians believe self-isolating will let them try new things and 48% believe it will help them rediscover their passions.
“The content is so varied,” Youssef told Mumbrella. “With craft, there’s so many different angles to come at this from. All of the makers have such different backgrounds, they’ve learnt so much from each other, and you watch these people change and evolve because they’re inspired by the people around them. Another really big part of this show is comedy, being silly and having fun. It’s not as serious as some of the other entertainment programs out there.
According to insights gathered from digital magazine app, Readly, interest in DIY and craft projects in Australia and New Zealand went up by 822% in the past year.
In addition to this, research from national retailer Bunnings shows that Australians are planning on spending an average of $4,100 on home improvement during 2021.
Viacom CBS Australia partnership director effect, Tamar Hovagimian, commented: “People are rediscovering the joy of creating and making, and advertisers are excited to be part of a show that is celebrating this. Making It Australia has attracted interest from brands that truly complement what the show is all about – they really couldn’t be better aligned.”
Hovagimian also explained how the series fits in with the network’s mantra of delivering young audiences for advertisers.
“Ten has always attracted an engaged younger audience – 49% of Ten’s primetime audience are under 50. Making It Australia is a show you can watch with the whole family, there’s something for everyone – just like in our sponsors’ stores.
“Hosts Susie and Harley will have our young-at-heart audience in stitches, our award-winning judges Deborah Riley and Benja Harney add artistic expertise, and our makers are from all different walks of life,” Hovagimian said.
As for integrated content and what particular brands have come on board – Hovagimian said all integrations were carefully considered, “to ensure we did not limit our makers creativity, everything plays out authentically in show”.
“The supporting commercial content created is seamless and organic because our sponsors are so well aligned to the show,” she added.
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topics
Bunnings
crafting
crafting and DIY
entertainment
Google Trends
Harley Breen
Making It Australia
new format
primetime\
Susie Youssef
Tamar Hovagimian
Ten
upcycling
Viacom CBS Australia
