The Lovers is a six-part Sky Original romantic comedy, written by Belfast playwright David Ireland, starring Róisín Gallagher and Johnny Flynn, and set entirely in Belfast. It landed on Sky Atlantic and NOW on 7 September 2023.

That night, Clearbox premiered it at The Strand in East Belfast – a sold-out screening with a cast Q&A, followed by an afterparty at Cyprus Avenue for the cast, crew, Belfast’s cultural scene and the Northern Irish press. Around it, we ran the press campaign: one-to-one cast interviews, a writer profile and a launch-week push across print, online and radio.

The result was a launch that put Belfast in the show’s story rather than just its credits, and coverage in every Northern Irish national.

The Challenge

A show set in Belfast is not automatically a Belfast story. The national launch – trailer, release date, cast interviews in the UK press – was already done by the time the series reached us, and Belfast Live, the Belfast Telegraph and the Irish News had all reported the air date off Sky’s own release in August. Rerunning that would have got nothing.

What Northern Irish media wanted was what the national campaign could not give them: the cast in the room, talking about Belfast. Róisín Gallagher is from the west of the city. David Ireland is a Belfast playwright. Johnny Flynn had spent months filming here. So the campaign was built around a premiere night that brought all three to East Belfast and gave local journalists their own time with them.

The practical challenge was the timeline. The premiere, the interviews and the afterparty all had to land on launch day, 7 September, with the cast in Belfast for one day.

Events: The premiere

The Strand on the Holywood Road is a 1930s art deco cinema and the closest thing East Belfast has to a landmark picture house. We took it over for the night of 7 September: posters, window vinyls, a step-and-repeat and The Lovers branding through the entrance, stairs and hallway, popcorn and drinks cups included.

Cool FM’s Rebecca McKinney hosted. Roanna Benn of Drama Republic and Manpreet Dosanjh of Sky Studios welcomed the room, then Róisín Gallagher, Johnny Flynn and David Ireland took the stage for a Q&A on why Belfast, what sets the show apart from the usual rom-com, and what it was like filming so close to home. The first two episodes screened to a full house.

The guest list mixed cast and crew with the people who make Belfast’s cultural life – theatre, music, television, the council and the press. Writers, musicians and producers from across the city came, alongside the Northern Irish entertainment journalists we needed in the room.

Events: The afterparty

Buses outside The Strand took everyone to Cyprus Avenue, which happens to share its name with David Ireland’s best-known play. Canapés, a pizza van, a bar, more branding, and a room where the cast, the producers and Belfast’s press could talk until late. Clearbox produced the whole day: venue, branding, catering, transport, guest list, cast handling and the running orders for The Strand, The Merchant and Cyprus Avenue.

Media relations: The cast in Belfast

Before the premiere, the cast sat down with Northern Irish media at The Merchant Hotel. The Irish News got Róisín Gallagher and Johnny Flynn together for a feature that ran online on launch day and across a print spread the following Monday. The Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life ran Róisín on being in “a love triangle with Belfast”, and the Belfast Telegraph ran Johnny Flynn separately on falling for the city and being sick of London being the focal point of everything. Cool FM covered the launch online and across four broadcast slots, and BBC Radio Ulster carried it on launch day.

Two weeks later, the Irish News ran a full-page profile of David Ireland in its weekend interview slot, online and in print, on forgiveness, rebuilding bridges and writing Belfast.

Every piece was positive, every piece led on Belfast, and the show’s two leads were on the front of the regional entertainment pages in launch week.

The Results

• A sold-out Belfast premiere with the three names that matter – Róisín Gallagher, Johnny Flynn and David Ireland – on stage together.
• 14 pieces of Northern Irish coverage from the premiere and interviews, across the Belfast Telegraph, Irish News, Sunday Life, Cool FM, BBC Radio Ulster and Love Belfast, with a combined reach of more than 20 million.
• Four separate cast and writer interview features, each leading on Belfast.
• A premiere day – venue, branding, Q&A, screening, transport and afterparty – delivered in full by Clearbox for the Sky PR team.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Clearbox do for Sky?

Clearbox produced the Belfast premiere of Sky Original The Lovers in September 2023 and ran the Northern Irish press campaign around it, working alongside Sky’s own PR team.

Where was The Lovers premiere?

At The Strand cinema on the Holywood Road, East Belfast, on 7 September 2023, the day the series launched on Sky Atlantic and NOW. The afterparty was at Cyprus Avenue.

Who was at the premiere?

The cast, including Róisín Gallagher and Johnny Flynn, writer David Ireland, producers from Drama Republic and Sky Studios, and guests from Belfast’s theatre, music, television and media worlds.

Does Clearbox work with broadcasters and productions filmed in Northern Ireland?

Yes. The Lovers is one example of launching a Northern Ireland-made production for a UK broadcaster’s PR team, with local events, cast handling and regional media relations.

Which markets did Clearbox cover for Sky?

Northern Ireland and Ireland.