updated brief

KILLERS

Concept

The pack that the magazine comes in has a form that can be filled in to receive a free gift for subcribing to That’s Killer magazine. Items include; a pack of cards and a rubix cube, communicating the idea of finding the killer as a game or a mystery to be solved; just as you would come to a conclusion after you have read the magazine. Other gifts include a clock; relating to time of death of the victims and finally a ‘Do not disturb’ door hanger; relative to the private nature of the killer, in particular Ed Gein who lived a very private and solitude life. 

This project is a series of four magazines accompanying a television program on channel 4. The aim of the series is to highlight the mental state of killers, rather than to glamourise the murders, and to also straighten out urban legends surrounding each case. It is important to view criminals as mentally unstable, as we are all born with a sense of morality - there needs to a realisation, those who are born with a chemical imbalance within their brain need to be treated. If those who commited horrific crimes thought for one moment that it was acceptable, then wouldn’t they be doing so in the public eye and not behind closed doors? ‘That’s Killer!’ is a light hearted and understanding take on the criminal mind - not accepting what has happened, simply providing a non biased view that is against the kind of berating ‘The Sun’ hands out. 

The way in which the viewer would learn of the exclusive pack including the magazine would be through the 4OD website. Once on the designated page for the program, the viewer could choose to fill in a form to receive a free promotional pack about it. The pack in it’s entirety would include; a magazine encased in an evidence envelope, a fact file inside of a documents enclosed grip seal bag, a poster and one of the novelty gift items on the aforementioned board. Each magazine will be accompanied by an Augmented Reality app that gives you more information on the people and places mentioned in each publication such as common misconceptions about the figure in question. For example the unrealistic movie portrayals of Ed Gein as a serial rapist when in actual fact he never once had sexual relations with any of his victims. 

The series is in four parts and studies the life of four main figures; Ed Gein, BTK Killer, Richard Chase and Andrei Chikatilo. These are the magazines that would be sent in the pack once ordered from the 4OD website.

Audience

4OD viewers

Deliverables

* A series of publications

* Accompanying posters

* Fact files