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Channel 4 “Complaints Welcome” 2020

Channel 4 “Complaints Welcome” (2020) is a Channel 4 commercial directed by Alex Boutell for 4creative, produced by 4creative. It won 9 awards, including British Arrows 2020 Craft Gold — Writing, Creative Circle 2020 Gold CHARITY + PUBLIC SERVICE - Best Charity/Public Service Film (single) and Creative Review Ads of the Year 2019.

Channel 4 celebrates its commitment to diverse and challenging programming by showcasing real, often absurd, complaints from viewers, highlighting their refusal to censor content.

Video: Channel 4 Entertainment on YouTube

Shot by shot

  1. Two men in casual clothes kiss passionately at the head of a long, opulent dining table, surrounded by formally dressed servers in a grand hall.© Channel 40:00
  2. A senior woman with grey hair and red glasses eats a small cake, looking directly at the camera with a disapproving expression in an outdoor setting.© Channel 40:10
  3. A woman with blonde hair and a leather jacket sits on a motorcycle on a road, with a massive explosion behind her and snow-capped mountains in the background.© Channel 40:20
  4. A person in a flamboyant, oversized purple dress with moon and sun motifs stands in a cluttered art studio, looking directly at the camera.© Channel 40:25
  5. A person's arm quickly closes a laptop on a wooden table, interrupting a TV show featuring a male comedian, next to a cup and newspaper.© Channel 40:35
  6. A man in his 40s, wearing a suit and a pink tie, speaks directly to the camera in an office setting.© Channel 40:40
  7. A woman in a green dress sits in a leather armchair, speaking to the camera, surrounded by men in a dimly lit, traditional club setting.© Channel 40:47
  8. A blonde woman in a red dress stands with her back to the camera, selecting letters on a large blue game show board.© Channel 40:53
  9. A man in a fur-trimmed cloak and a wolf stand in a snowy forest, looking into the distance.© Channel 40:57
  10. A female swimmer with dwarfism stands on a starting block at an indoor swimming pool, looking confident and ready to dive.© Channel 41:01
  11. Jamie Oliver, a male in his 40s, wearing a blue plaid shirt, stands in a rustic kitchen, looking annoyed as he reacts to a comment.© Channel 41:08
  12. A person in a large, colorful, quilted dress with a moon and sun collar stands in a cluttered art studio, laughing loudly.© Channel 41:18

Stills © Channel 4. Made by 4creative, 4creative and Alex Boutell.

Every shot, full-quality frames and clips, and search across every commercial. Free account.

The idea

Embrace viewer complaints as a badge of honor for bold, uncensored television.

Tagline: “Complaints welcome”

breaking the fourth walldirect address to cameraironic humorcelebrity cameomontage of diverse scenariossubverting expectations

The cut

Length
90 s
Shots
36
Average shot
2.5 s

What creatives use Channel 4 “Complaints Welcome” for

  1. 01Reference frames for your treatment

    Pitching something with the feel of Channel 4 “Complaints Welcome”? A screenshot from a video player won't hold up in a deck.

    Download any frame of this spot at full quality, with its credits, or search every spot for the same look.

    Two men in casual clothes kiss passionately at the head of a long, opulent dining table, surrounded by formally dressed servers in a grand hall.© Channel 4A senior woman with grey hair and red glasses eats a small cake, looking directly at the camera with a disapproving expression in an outdoor setting.© Channel 4A woman with blonde hair and a leather jacket sits on a motorcycle on a road, with a massive explosion behind her and snow-capped mountains in the background.© Channel 4A person in a flamboyant, oversized purple dress with moon and sun motifs stands in a cluttered art studio, looking directly at the camera.© Channel 4
    Frames from Channel 4 “Complaints Welcome”

  2. 02Shot list example: how it was cut

    You need the structure of a great spot, shot by shot, for your storyboard.

    Every shot of Channel 4 “Complaints Welcome” in order, with its length, framing and what happens in it.

    Two men in casual clothes kiss passionately at the head of a long, opulent dining table, surrounded by formally dressed servers in a grand hall.© Channel 4A senior woman with grey hair and red glasses eats a small cake, looking directly at the camera with a disapproving expression in an outdoor setting.© Channel 4A woman with blonde hair and a leather jacket sits on a motorcycle on a road, with a massive explosion behind her and snow-capped mountains in the background.© Channel 4A person in a flamboyant, oversized purple dress with moon and sun motifs stands in a cluttered art studio, looking directly at the camera.© Channel 4A person's arm quickly closes a laptop on a wooden table, interrupting a TV show featuring a male comedian, next to a cup and newspaper.© Channel 4A man in his 40s, wearing a suit and a pink tie, speaks directly to the camera in an office setting.© Channel 4
    Length: 90 s · Shots: 36 · Average shot: 2.5 s

  3. 03Ad ideas: every spot built on a breaking the fourth wall

    Before you present an idea, you need to know who has done it, and how.

    Channel 4 “Complaints Welcome” is built on a breaking the fourth wall. Search the library by idea to see every spot that uses it.

    DoorDash “DoorDash All the Ads”© DoorDashSkittles “Apologize the Rainbow”© SkittlesCadbury Celebrations “My SRK Ad”© Cadbury CelebrationsSkinny “Friendvertising”© Skinny
    DoorDash · Skittles · Cadbury Celebrations · Skinny

More commercials by Alex Boutell

  • Channel 4 "Women’s Euros 2017" (2018) commercial still© Channel 4Channel 4 “Women’s Euros 2017” 2018Dir. Alex BoutellBritish Arrows Silver 2018
  • Amazon "Spring Day Deals" (2025) commercial still© AmazonAmazon “Spring Day Deals” 2025Dir. Alex Boutell · adam&eve\TBWA
  • Skoda "Familying" (2024) commercial still© SkodaSkoda “Familying” 2024Dir. Alex Boutell · Leo Burnett
  • Toyota Great Britain "Impossible vs. Impossible" (2024) commercial still© Toyota Great BritainToyota Great Britain “Impossible vs. Impossible” 2024Dir. Alex Boutell · T&P
  • McCain "Let's All Chip In" (2023) commercial still© McCainMcCain “Let's All Chip In” 2023Dir. Alex Boutell · adam&eve\TBWA
  • TikTok "Through the Ages" (2022) commercial still© TikTokTikTok “Through the Ages” 2022Dir. Alex Boutell · Mother

More from 4creative

  • Channel 4 "Meet the Superhumans" (2012) commercial still© Channel 4Channel 4 “Meet the Superhumans” 2012Dir. Tom Tagholm · 4creativeCannes Lions Grand Prix 2013
  • Channel 4 Paralympics "Considering What" (2025) commercial still© Channel 4 ParalympicsChannel 4 Paralympics “Considering What” 2025Dir. Steve Rogers · 4creativeClio Awards Gold 2025
  • Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games "Super. Human" (2022) commercial still© Tokyo 2020 Paralympic GamesTokyo 2020 Paralympic Games “Super. Human” 2022Dir. Bradford Young · 4creativeCreative Circle Gold 2022
  • Stand Up To Cancer "It's Payback Time" (2015) commercial still© Stand Up To CancerStand Up To Cancer “It's Payback Time” 2015Dir. Smith & Foulkes · 4creativeCreative Circle Gold 2015
  • Adobe "Women's FA Cup - Pure Football" (2026) commercial still© AdobeAdobe “Women's FA Cup - Pure Football” 2026Dir. Deadhorses (James & Ivo) · 4creative
  • 4CREATIVE "TRUTH AND DARE" (2022) commercial still© 4CREATIVE4CREATIVE “TRUTH AND DARE” 2022Dir. Brian Harrington · 4creative

Award-winning media & entertainment commercials

Questions

Who directed the Channel 4 “Complaints Welcome” commercial?

Alex Boutell directed it, produced by 4creative, for the agency 4creative.

Which agency made Channel 4 “Complaints Welcome”?

4creative created it for Channel 4 (2020).

What awards did Channel 4 “Complaints Welcome” win?

9 awards, including British Arrows 2020 Craft Gold — Writing, British Arrows 2020 Gold — Charity & Public Service, British Arrows 2020 Gold — Entertainment Promotions and Creative Circle 2020 Gold CHARITY + PUBLIC SERVICE - Best Charity/Public Service Film (single).

What is the tagline of Channel 4 “Complaints Welcome”?

“Complaints welcome”

Sources for the credits and awards

britisharrows.comweb.archive.orgcreativereview.co.uk