Today it would include 200000 registered

Unless there be an anti-télé satisfied, you have necessarily heard of the adventures of Ninon, Benoît, Rachel, Laurent, Roland, Mirtha, in the heart of the series "most beautiful life", broadcast on France 3. It traces the life and times of fifteen characters in the Mistral, a fictional district of Marseille. A television phenomenon: the marseillais "soap" attracts every night at 20: 20 pm more than 6 million viewers, or 21 of shares of hearing about this time, and flirting with the hearings of the sacrosanct newspapers television TF1 and France 2. The series popularized Marseille, newly appointed European capital of culture for 2013. Indeed, the Marseille city has funded the "soap" in the amount of EUR 500 000 for the first three years. And production intends to extend the Bill: "We renégocions currently contract", says Pascal Tomasini, executive producer of the series in France 3.

Above all, "most beautiful life" became a real brand, declined by France 3 and Telfrance production company on several media and products. She thus became the most beautiful "cash machine" France 3 The question is worth to be asked. The show enjoys a comfortable annual budget of 27 million euros, but "No. how" on the revenue generated by the series, any more than on its derivatives. Single digit released on France television advertising Board, the series generates it only 17 of the advertising revenue of France 3, or 43 million euros per year.

Idealized neighbourhood life

After beginnings mixed in September 2004, screenwriters spicy Chronicle of neighbourhood with "the thriller, comedy and the societal", said Pascal Tomasini, executive producer of the series in France 3. Especially, it is a "soap" on a life of neighbourhood idealized, where "the archetypal image of the place of the village, the neighbourhood sociability, reassures the Viewer", said Bertrand Villegas, Director of The Wit, eve of global television agency. The series is best managed to attract viewers of all ages and all socio-professional categories combined.

The key to the success of "most beautiful life" France 3 and Telfrance anticipated operations derived from the television program on other screens. Very quickly, "most beautiful life" and launched its website, where fans can give their opinion on the intrigue and "chater" with the actors. Since 2006, the series is also proposed in video on demand (VOD) on Orange.fr and France3.fr and MaligneTV subscribers free of charge. Twenty thousand episodes would thus sold each month. The vein is promising: the episode is leased for 24 hours, according to a degressive rate of 0.99 euro 6.99 euros one ten. Orange customers can also see a mini-épisodes on their mobile phone.

At the same time has been orchestrated an another variation on the Internet screen, at the launch of the thousandth episode. July 11, Telfrance launched on its site "more beautiful life", a virtual three dimensional (3D), free world modelled on the virtual world "Second Life". There, fans can create their avatar, walk down the universe of "most beautiful life", and sometimes "chater" in line with the actors. Today, it would include 200,000 registered. The business is well concrete: thanks to a currency virtual the States acquired by micro-payment (via a payment by CB on the Net) the user can acquire clothes or furniture. Another future resource, advertising, with already, "Pimkie as first advertiser", says Philippe Moitroux, Director of the Belgian company Taatu, who designed this virtual world.

"Most beautiful life" should be declined on other media, that of video games. On the eve of Christmas, end of November, Publisher Mindscape will release an investigative game, "The Secret of Dr. Livia", directly inspired by the series for Nintendo DS consoles. There are even, in late December, a variation of this game for mobile phones, downloadable for 5 euros, designed by the marseillaise SMEs C4M.

A publishing phenomenon

Most importantly, the initiators of this drama stamped "made in Provence", have capitalized on the mark "more beautiful life" for the decline in a myriad of products. To begin, "most beautiful life" is a publishing phenomenon: the monthly series sold with a DVD has elapsed at best 700,000, to 8.7 million euros of revenue. In the first eight volumes of the novel, written by one of the writers of the series, they have passed to near 100,000 best.

Another variation, the games: Ravensburger launched the puzzle, and Asmodée distributes a game sold 35 euros since October 2007: best 20,000 have been marketed. All this plus t-shirts, pins, caps, bathroom linen, and of course the oil. Fans can buy it on the Internet, even in a good hardware store and online store, it opened on 11 July last in the neighbourhood of the basket in Marseille, which inspired the decor of the drama. And this is not finished... End of the year, the schedule of positions with the effigy of the series will be available: Telfrance recently signed with the Publisher Glénat to launch the album in the series, the first volume will be released in March 2009. Too many derivatives The question is not there.

From January 1, 2009, the producers will have to fill a serious loss of profits with the abolition of advertising on public channels after 20 hours. The proliferation of derivatives or the advance of the prime-time programs broadcast schedule, could be a solution. Some reason still further and faster, imagining insert some brands in the series. For the moment, Telfrance stands at some operations out of media, brands partners that may use "more beautiful life" in their advertisements. In addition, "with Puget, Lesieur and Dop, we have mounted operations games-competition inserted on the packaging, with lots as a tour of the studios in Marseille", said Hubert Besson.

But the production company hopes to spend a day in product placement, when it will be allowed. Last year, Telfrance tested for five months a partnership with the mail-order-mark what. The actors wore clothes in some episodes. At the same time, through episodes in VOD on the Internet, the user could click on clothes and buy them online, in the image of what is already in the United States. But already, Hubert Besson reflects on the next step: "lead, for example, this type of operations on the furniture." Follow, therefore.