Innocean and FINCH’s ‘Big Trip’ Into TV Production with Hyundai
Reality TV is one of TV’s crowning jewels: Married at First Sight, I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here, Love Island, Masterchef, and The Block all rack up viewers as audiences strap themselves in for the chaos of real people facing real challenges.
The latest show to join reality’s ranks is ‘The Big Trip’, a four-part series Innocean, FINCH, and Hyundai created, following four teams of Australian celebrities - including Dilruk Jayasinha, Anthony 'Lehmo' Lehmann, and Lydia Lassila - as they road trip across Australia in electric and hybrid vehicles.
LBB’s Casey Martin spoke to Renata Barbosa, head of production at Innocean, and Loren Bradley, executive producer at FINCH, about the nuances of branded entertainment and how to get it right.
The pair detail the challenges and highlights associated with a TV series, how to integrate the brand and its messaging throughout, and what it’s like to travel for three weeks from Perth to Sydney with an entire cast and crew.
LBB> Creating an entire TV series in order to promote a brand would be massive. Talk us through the beginning process of storyboarding the ideas and how you got to your first day of production?
Renata> It was definitely massive. But that’s what made it exciting. The first question we asked ourselves was: ‘How do we create something people genuinely want to watch, entertainment-first, while still staying true to Hyundai’s ethos?’ Instead of jumping into traditional storyboards, we took a step back and brought everyone together - creatives, logistics, production, and Hyundai’s team, for what we called ‘working sessions.’
Over three months we hashed out ideas, found what got people genuinely excited, and built everything from there. The collaboration between Hyundai, Innocean, FINCH, and Maker Real was great. By the time we hit day one of production, the team wasn’t just dialled into the ‘how’ but really bought into the ‘why.’ That’s when we knew we’re onto something special.
Loren> We began with a chemistry session to establish a united approach to taking this amazing idea out of advertising, into entertainment, and onto a network like Seven. We outlined our key objectives together as a team.
It was non-negotiable to have a primetime spot to capture a wide audience for our premiere.
LBB> What are a few lessons you’ve learned during the creation of the TV series?
Renata> You’ve got to be adaptable - things will change, curveballs will fly, and you must roll with it. But perhaps the most important one: communication is everything. On a project this size, you can’t have people working in silos, it just doesn’t work. There were moments where the wheels could’ve fallen off, but because the team trusted each other, we made it through. When that happens, the impossible suddenly feels very doable.
LBB> Do you believe that TV series are a good way to elevate a brand and its offerings? How did it differ from a classic TVC, in terms of highlighting the values of the brand?
Renata> The minute you try to shoehorn a brand into a story, the audience will see right through it. With ‘The Big Trip’, we were saying, ‘Hey, come along for the ride and experience what this brand stands for - adventure, innovation.’ A TVC can sometimes be more transactional. It’s quick. But a series is where you get to build something deeper. It’s about creating a relationship with the audience. We could not have done this without Hyundai’s full commitment at every step of the way.
Loren> A marriage of brand, storytelling, and entertainment is a winner in my eyes. Brands win, networks win, and filmmakers get to tell more meaningful stories.
LBB> Was there a moment on set that was just unbelievably fun?
Renata> We were constantly on the move and travelled through some amazing locations. We got to experience parts of Australia that not many people get to see, which made the trip very special and a whole lot of fun. The scale of the production, including all the different crews and talent, meant we all felt like a big family at the end of each shoot day.
Loren> We had over 100 crew across Australia for 25 days filming the show, a suite of commercials, stills, and social content. There were countless moments of fun, as well as moments of ‘I can’t believe how well this is working!’
We didn't have a video village, a catering truck, or any bells and whistles of a traditional set. Every single person that was there was vital to the production and campaign. There was a moment for me, though, when we had set up a concert under the stars, all powered by the electric Kona. It was magic.
LBB> What were some of the challenges?
Renata> We had plenty. A fun one was working out all the charging spots along the 4,000km journey from Perth to Sydney. We had three weeks to travel with four electric vehicles along some of the most remote places in Australia, whilst shooting a TV series and a large brand campaign in parallel.
A dedicated team of producers and location managers worked through every inch of the trip, documenting every available facility, which made the whole project possible. But the biggest challenge was keeping each other true to what we collectively set out to make: an entertainment-first prime-time series for a TV network. It is not every day you get given such an amazing opportunity when you work in advertising.
And when the numbers came in for the first episode and we smashed the 1 million views mark, we knew we had done the right thing.
Loren> The unforeseen challenge for us was convincing everyone along the way about our ambition. Once we got over this hurdle, and onto marketing, we realised it was one thing to make a show, the next step is a whole campaign to ensure there are eyeballs watching. We are incredibly humbled by the effort of everyone involved in our grassroots marketing campaign, which has managed to lure in more viewers than we anticipated.
LBB> What’s a secret from set that not many people would know?
Renata> Even though we were mostly traveling in convoy, we ‘lost’ some of the talent for a few hours! A couple of our celebs thought it was a good idea to take a little unplanned detour at the Nullarbor and go see the stunning Bunda Cliffs. But when you are that remote, without phone or radio signal, two hours feels like an eternity. We could not blame them though. The place is magical!
Loren> Tricky question when it comes to reality; there are cameras everywhere. You could guess this, but… catering and accommodation in a short-form TVC shoot are way more luxurious!
