DUMPED

31 August 2007

It’s not everyday you get a call from a PR agency asking if you can make instruments for an orchestra, so you can imagine just how intrigued USL were when such a call came through in mid August. Turns out that Channel 4 were looking for an interesting PR campaign to launch their four part series DUMPED where 12 people were literally abandoned on a rubbish tip and told to survive for a couple of weeks.

We set the gear up and let them have a play. It was an experience asking serious professional musicians what they play and then giving them our equivalent. Imagine the sight- a violinist faced with a shop dummy’s leg; a cellist with an axe handle, a French horn player given a hose pipe with a funnel attached to the end…..

Whilst the photographer and the cameramen were lining up their shots the musicians started messing about, and with it being the height of proms season they naturally started jamming Pomp and Circumstance (Land of Hope and Glory).  It was one of the funniest things ever. Professional musicians playing serious music on what some people might describe as comedy instruments. During the filming it was obvious that the musicians were having trouble keeping a straight face.

Once the shots had been taken and the film was in the can we ran off to Tin Pan Alley studios in Soho to record the track.

The whole thing was put together and used in the press and online to promote the series. As a result the PR company have been nominated for an award. All because USL create instruments from stuff people don’t need or use any more. There's no better way to be Dumped.