British Board of Film Classification, the age ratings organisation for audio-visual material in the UK, launches a technical triad of enhanced digital platforms.

A major digital transformation

For the past year, Clock has been working closely with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) on a wide-scale digital transformation project, to not only accelerate and elevate their online offering, but also assist in their quest to becoming the go-to organisation for ratings of film, video and online content in the UK.

Following a company-wide rebrand of their iconic age rating symbols, Clock was tasked with enhancing the BBFC’s varied digital portfolio to ensure it reflected this modern identity. Spanning three different platforms, Clock undertook a significant rebuild to help define a new direction for both the CBBFC (targeted at parents, kids and teachers) and BBFC sites, as well as reimagining the BBFC app to provide a more streamlined and personalised user experience that users would love to come back to time and again

Key benefits

Whilst the end-goal across each platform was clear: to become the trusted source for classifications information in the UK, there are also more tangible benefits to the improved digital offerings.

1. CBBFC site

An educational platform targeted towards parents, teachers and students

• A wealth of PSHE resources aimed at teachers, parents and students to browse and download at the click of a button
• Educational tools and information regarding the rating of films and trailers
• Extensive search functionality, categorising tailored content ratings according to individual users
• Revamped version of the interactive 'Rate A Trailer' feature, aimed at educating children around important themes whilst allowing them to try their hands at classification ratings.

2. BBFC site

The home of the BBFC and flagship platform

• Prominent, faceted search functionality to allow for instant filtering of entertainment classifications directly from the homepage.
• Improved capability to link important resources directly to film release pages
• Up-to-date and leading industry information to inform users of ratings rationale
• Educational resources for teachers, parents and students in easy-to-download formats

3. BBFC app

A user-friendly on-the-go app, making use of native functionality to help users decide where to watch the best and most appropriate films

• The ability to set a favourite nearby cinema location which then automatically displays upcoming showtimes on a tailored home screen.
• Instant ratings information displayed at the click of a button for a wide range of films.
• A snapshot of recent releases and ratings to help you keep up to date with the latest entertainment whilst on the move.
• A quick guide to classification ratings for ease of reference wherever you are.
• Responsive search to allow for effortlessly scanning of current and archival classifications information from your mobile device.
• A content preference centre to enable tailored ratings according to your selection - instantly transforms the app into a child-friendly version for any content you don’t want them to see!
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Download the new BBFC app today from the App Store or Google Play.

Three platforms, one powerful Content Management System

With multiple channels to regularly edit and maintain, we were keen to equip the BBFC team with an automated solution to streamline both editorial and marketing workflows, whilst enabling time-sensitive content to be distributed at the opportune moment.

We helped define and develop the single custom Content Management System to power all three platforms, refining the functionality to ensure the BBFC had a system that augmented their editorial workflows. Their cross-departmental teams can now effortlessly update both sites and the app from one centralised location.

Next.js

The CBBFC and BBFC sites were built using Next.js technology (a React framework for developing single page Javascript applications). This solution was specifically selected by our expert development team for this wide-scale project due to its unparalleled benefits of high performance. With a need for long-term scalability and greater accessibility, it ticked all the right boxes for the BBFC’s varying requirements and has allowed for significant upgrades across the board.  

The results...

Since launch, results of the new sites have been extremely impressive already. Highlights include a 55% reduction in bounce rate on the new CBBFC site within a few months and a threefold increase in the average session duration of each user. Their audience is demonstrably more engaged with the new functionality and content.

For the BBFC platform, the design and technology that we implemented has resulted in a 33% increase in performance, 200% improvement in accessibility and 14% improvement in SEO.

We are excited to see how the platforms’ evolution continues to boost the BBFC’s goal in engaging with existing and potential users.