A fly-on-the-wall documentary featuring Cabal Communications, with
the working title Tears in the Toilet, is to air on BBC 2 in
January.
The four-part series has been filmed over 15 months and covers the
trials and tribulations of the then start-up publisher, endowed with
chief executive Sally O’Sullivan’s unique ethos.
The show focuses on a number of characters from the launch team and
three senior ad managers are set to become TV celebrities. They are Good
Health ad director Charmian Denison, Real Homes ad director Mark
Lonergan and Helen Brocklebank, who last week joined Emap Elan as
business director for its new creative solutions unit.
Nothing was off limits as the cameras went into both internal meetings
and agency presentations. More worryingly for the staff, the cameras
were also present during many of their drinking sessions.
A spokesperson revealed: ’There are quite a few people who are worried
what their close ones are going to think when they see the
programmes.’
Denison, a self-confessed attention seeker, is looking forward to the
notoriety: ’They might include some embarrassing karaoke sessions but,
what the hell, I might be the next Maureen from Driving School.’
Brocklebank’s ambitions are less bold: ’I just hope I can come out of it
with some self respect and with my reputation intact,’ she said
nervously.
’It might be a bit Ab Fab. We were such evangelists, almost like a
cult,’ she added.
Ad agency St Luke’s, which has a unique ethos where staff own and manage
the business, featured in a similar documentary this year. But chairman
Andy Law has no misgivings. ’Other agencies thought it would be the
death of us but it’s given a huge boost to our profile,’ he said.
