BBC StoryWorks' Expedia collaboration is an interesting evolution of branded content

The latest collaboration between Expedia and BBC StoryWorks sees New York through the eyes of enthusiastic resident, Alan Cumming.

According to Expedia and BBC Studios, the new ‘On Location’ series was designed to combine premium travel storytelling with travel planning and booking, creating a bridge between inspiration and action.

This isn't really an advert in the traditional sense, more an example of BBC StoryWorks' increasingly influential approach to branded content.

The ‘commercial content studio’ within BBC Studios operates separately from the BBC's editorial and news operations. However, unlike many publisher studios, StoryWorks explicitly states that its branded content must be informative, interesting, add value for audiences, and be of sufficient quality to sit alongside BBC content.

Indeed, former BBC editorial leader and BBC StoryWorks SVP Richard Pattinson described the model as combining "newsroom values" with commercial storytelling.

The idea here then is that audiences would genuinely choose to watch regardless of the sponsor. Interestingly, the content is not available in the UK - given the BBC’s distinctly non-commercial rules over here. But here’s a taster, regardless:

The campaign sees actor Alan Cumming explore everything New York has to offer: its history, its art, its food, and its endless curiosities.

“From the swankiest spots to the city's hidden corners, Cumming showed that there’s a New York for everybody,” reads the blurb.

Travel seems like a pretty conducive topic to bridge the commercial aims of Expedia with StoryWork’s remit, which is probably why the studio usually gravitates towards the genre, alongside science, sustainability, culture and innovation rather than straightforward product marketing.

In a world where human-led storytelling is an aspiration for brands, working with the Beeb seems like a canny move to bring that all-important authenticity. But, on a wider scale, there’s perhaps a lesson here that adopting impartial editorial standards can be a win for everyone.