Channel 4’s Derry Girls Returns with One-off Edition of Iconic Smash Hits Magazine

Channel 4 has today launched its marketing campaign for the new series of the hit comedy, Derry Girls. 

Produced by 4Creative for Channel 4 Marketing, the campaign is inspired by the ‘90s, the era in which Derry Girls is set, and ‘last-day-of-school’ chaos in a nod to this being both the final series and final year of school for the show’s characters. 

It features a special one-off edition of the iconic Smash Hits magazine, which has been brought back to life to commemorate the launch of the show. Produced in collaboration with Bauer Media, the 28-page magazine includes a pull out double page poster of the cast and classic Derry Girls themed features like the Biscuit Tin interview. Over 150,000 copies of the magazine will be distributed, with copies being handed out across the UK, as well as being bagged up with this week's issues of heat and Closer, on newsstands today. 

The attention-grabbing visuals from the double page poster in the magazine will also feature across the out of home materials, including large format digital on the day of transmission. 

On TikTok, fans will be treated to exclusive magazine content adapted for social, such as the ability to insert their own images onto the front cover of Smash Hits with the Derry Girls cast. The 90s nostalgia continues on Spotify with a ‘Create your own mixtape’ digital experience which enables users to select their favourite 90s tracks and load them onto a virtual customisable cassette tape.  

On the ground in Derry, the UV Arts team which immortalised the Derry Girls characters in a mural to celebrate the second series is working on a temporary update to the painting for the launch of Series three. The updated mural will be unveiled on Wednesday 6th April.  

Derry Girls is the creation of acclaimed writer Lisa McGee who has mined her own experiences to create a candid, one-of-a-kind, family-centred comedy set against the backdrop of The Troubles. The first series aired in January 2018 and received an overwhelmingly positive reaction from viewers from around the UK and particularly from the local community in Derry, making it Channel 4’s biggest comedy launch series of the last 18 years. 

Lynsey Atkin, executive creative director at 4Creative, said: “Smash Hits and  Derry Girls is a match made in 90s heaven – both icons of their time, wildly popular and with an incorrigible urge to say what they think (even when it gets them into trouble). We have absolutely loved bringing this campaign to life; giving the Derry Girls (and the wee English fella) the full pop star treatment and working with Bauer Media and Lisa McGee to give fans even more of Erin and the gang before school’s out for good.”  

Lucie Cave, chief content officer, Bauer Media added: “With Season three of Derry Girls set in 1998, reviving our iconic 90s magazine Smash Hits for a one-off special was a no-brainer! Working incredibly close with the Channel 4 team meant that we were able to be keep the energy and essence of both brands in sync throughout and ensure that the show was seamlessly woven throughout all editorial – including the fan-favourite ‘Biscuit Tin’ interview and classic ‘How to Dress Like a Pop Star’. Nostalgia is having such a moment, and this is like jumping back into your teenage bedroom and grabbing a hairbrush to sing in the mirror − we can’t wait for fans to grab a copy and dive into Derry Girls in all its glory!” 

Derry Girls is a Hat Trick production for Channel 4.