Jamal, a keen follower of grime music, posted his first self made video of his friends rapping on the internet 4 years ago. Four years later, he is the founder and CEO of online youth broadcaster SB.TV and has his own record label. His story demonstrates the way in which the web has opened up huge opportunities for anyone with talent and an Internet connection.
The ad, which launched in a 90" slot last Saturday during The X Factor will be running across UK TV throughout September. The same ad also appears online and has already received over 1.3 million views on YouTube in just over a week.
'The web is what you make of it' campaign highlights stories of people who have used the web in inspirational ways. Other ads in the series 'The web is what you make of it' were 'Dear Hollie', 'It Get's Better' and 'Lady Gaga'.
Mill directors Carl Addy and PK worked alongside creative agency BBH, TV media planning agency OMD and Essence, digital media planning agency on the spot.
About Jamal Edwards
20-year-old Jamal Edwards is the founder and CEO of SB.TV, the UK's leading online youth broadcast channel. He got his start four years ago when he began videoing "grime sessions" and uploading them to his YouTube channel, SmokeyBarz. His channel now has upwards of 61 million views and over 90,000 subscribers. The channel features impromptu live performances, behind the scenes footage, acoustic "backroom" sessions and interviews.
Jamal and his growing team have sat down with the likes of Jessie J, secured the first UK interview with Nicki Minaj and even chatted to the YouTube sensation Justin Bieber. Edwards recently signed a deal with Sony RCA gving him his own record label, Just Jam Records.
Agency: BBH London
Producer: Matthew Towell
Creative Director: Ashidiq Ghazali
Creatives: Ed Cole, Lewis Mooney
Strategy Director: Jason Gonsalves
Strategist: Ben Shaw
Team Manager: Lucy Scott
Team Director: Rowena Minhas
Production Company: The Mill
Director: Carl Addy, PK
Executive Producer: Luke Colson
Producer: Carl Phillips
Sound: Joe Mount @ Wave
Editing Company: The Mill
Editor: Charlotte Carr
Edit Assist: Will Barnett
VFX & Design: The Mill
Executive Producer: Luke Colson
VFX Producer: Carl Phillips
Creative Director: Carl Addy, PK
2D Lead Artists: Dom Burgess, Ashley Tyas
Assists: Douglas Haynes, Scott Dawkins
Motion Graphics: Sam Southward, Shaun Leong-Williams, Bob Wolf
Camera Assistants: Oliver Briginshaw, Hugo Vaughan-Hughes