Channel 4 has commissioned its first vertical drama series, partnering with global beauty brand Sol de Janeiro on a five-part scripted microdrama that will premiere across its social platforms on October 24.
Produced by curly media, The Guest List follows four women in their twenties navigating friendship, relationships and careers in London. The series will launch on Channel 4’s TikTok, Meta and YouTube channels.
The commission marks Channel 4’s entry into the growing vertical drama market and reflects increasing interest among broadcasters and advertisers in using short-form scripted entertainment to engage younger digital audiences. Dentsu Entertainment recently released research underlining the rapid growth of the sector.
The series centres on four friends – Amaka, Aisha, Bella and Mika – whose lives unfold through their group chat. Storylines range from romantic relationships and career dilemmas to preparations for a night out. Each character is inspired by a different fragrance from Sol de Janeiro’s new Intense Mist range, integrating the brand’s products into the storytelling.
The ensemble cast includes Deba Hekmat (Last Swim) as photographer Aisha, Jadesola Odunjo (You) as PR executive Amaka, Mia Ito Smith as fashion assistant Mika and Felicity Ali, making her drama debut as finance intern Bella.
Ameenah Taher, digital commissioning executive at Channel 4, commissioned the series. She said: “We’re always looking to anticipate where audiences and storytelling are heading next. I’m proud to have commissioned Channel 4’s first branded micro drama foray into this space and worked closely with curly media to develop the project – a bold, character-led series exploring the friendship, ambition and lives of a diverse group of intelligent young women.”
The partnership was brokered by Zenith UK, which worked with Channel 4 and Sol de Janeiro to develop the branded entertainment concept. Zenith UK CEO Sannah Rogers said: “The best partnerships start with a shared ambition to create something people genuinely want to spend time with. We saw a real opportunity to bring Sol de Janeiro and Channel 4 together around a new kind of storytelling, taking what makes the brand so distinctive and building it into the creative idea from the start.”
Channel 4’s head of advertiser strategy, Sam Hicks, said: “We love finding new and creative ways to bring brands and audiences together, and The Guest List is a brilliant example of what that can look like. By pairing Sol de Janeiro with an emerging format, we’ve created a partnership that puts the brand at the heart of the idea and gives audiences something genuinely entertaining.”
Rebecca Pollard, Sol de Janeiro’s director, marketing & consumer engagement for the UK and Ireland, added: “Sol de Janeiro is all about rewriting the rules of beauty and celebrating confidence, connection and sparking joy, The Guest List is our chance to challenge what beauty content can be. We wanted to be a part of creating something unexpected, culturally relevant and made for the world our community lives in.”
The series is executive produced by curly media’s Emma Walker, directed by Nadira Amrani, with Jade Greene serving as content director.
