Channel 4 Launches Sol de Janeiro Fragrance Drama Series

Channel 4 launches a vertical micro drama series featuring Sol de Janeiro fragrances as character inspirations. The five-part series, titled 'The Guest List,' debuts on 24 October across the broadcaster's TikTok, YouTube, and Meta platforms.

Produced by curly media, the vertical drama follows a friendship group of four women in their twenties navigating life in London. The series weaves career dilemmas, new crushes, and nights out into its narrative, portraying modern womanhood through group dynamics and chat interactions.

Cast and character inspiration

The series stars four actresses, each portraying a friend inspired by a specific Sol de Janeiro Intense Mist scent. British actress Deba Hekmat plays Aisha, linked to the Cheirosa 91 fragrance. Jadesola Odunjo, another British actress, plays Amaka, inspired by Cheirosa 62.

Up-and-coming talent Mia Ito Smith plays Mika, whose character draws from Cheirosa 74. Felicity Ali, also an up-and-coming talent, rounds out the quartet as Bella, connected to Cheirosa 59.

Fragrance integration and sensory storytelling

The narrative integrates Sol de Janeiro's new Cheirosa collection, released in August. Each character's personality aligns with a fragrance's olfactory profile. For instance, Mika's inspiration, Cheirosa 74, is described as a golden gourmand with notes of ripe pineapple, orange flower, and a solar ambery accord.

The series uses these scent inspirations to deepen character development, exploring how fragrance connects to identity and shared experiences within the friend group.

Production and partnership details

The partnership between Channel 4 and Sol de Janeiro was brokered by media agency Zenith UK. Ameenah Taher served as Channel 4’s Digital Commissioning Executive for the project, with Laura Marks as Head of Digital Commissioning. Sam Hicks is Channel 4’s Head of Advertiser Strategy, with Andrew Ukiwa as Senior Partnerships Lead, Mikal Habteab as Production Lead, and Dilly Dunford as Creative Strategist.

For curly media, Emma Walker was Executive Producer, Nadira Amrani was Director, and Jade Greene was Series Producer and Content Director. On the agency side, Camila Clayton was Head of Partnerships at Publicis Media Content, with Duncan Child as Business Director and Olivia Marks as Partnerships Director. Zenith UK's team included CEO Sannah Rogers, Client Partner Chenai Madziwa, and Business Director Thomas Read.

Rebecca Pollard, Director of Marketing & Consumer Engagement for Sol de Janeiro in the UK and Ireland, stated the brand's philosophy. "Sol de Janeiro is all about rewriting the rules of beauty and celebrating confidence, connection and sparking joy." Ameenah Taher of Channel 4 commented on the network's strategy, saying, "We are always looking to anticipate where audiences and storytelling are heading next."

The parent company of the beauty brand is L’Occitane. The series debuts on 24 October across Channel 4’s TikTok, YouTube, and Meta social platforms.