The Turkish distributor’s CEO spoke to ttv about the elements that make up this one-of-a-kind Turkish drama, which has already become a sensation in Turkey and is now preparing to conquer audiences in the international market.
As one of Turkey’s most successful international distributors, Global Agency is no stranger to finding great results with its Turkish dramas, both in Turkey and around the world. Its most recent title, One Love, is no exception, which ended last month as one of Turkey’s highest-rated dramas, causing waves from one platform to another, both on TV and on social media.
The gripping drama became the leader with its last two episodes on Show TV, reaching a 13.12 rating and 30% share in the commercial demo. And in the total group it reached a 9.27 rating and 22% share, showing a constant increase every week.
Over on social media, the series was first on the Trending Topics list in Turkey every Friday night and generated around 180,000 tweets every week. In addition, the drama amassed more than 500,000 subscribers on YouTube -a number that continues to grow day by day-, while its protagonists continue to reach more and more followers, becoming a true international phenomenon.
So what makes One Love so special and why is it loved among audiences in Turkey? According to Izzet Pinto, CEO of Global Agency, it all comes down to its one-of-a-kind theme.
“The most important factors that ensure the success of this series are that it deals with a topic that has never been touched on before and portrays it in a very realistic way,” the CEO told ttv. “The series explores social differences and proceeds to tie various elements together while examining different issues.”
As the executive explained, viewers are generally fascinated by problems that result in conflicts in love or other areas of people’s lives, and ‘One Love’ focuses on a marriage between two people from families that have very different cultural backgrounds.
Their perspectives on life and lifestyles lie at two extremes. And the series is also based on a true story. “That’s why it has resonated so much with people,” he summarized. Produced by Gold Film, One Love stars Barış Kılıç from Feriha and War of the Roses, Evrim Alasya from Sunshine Girls and Scorpion, Sıla Türkoğlu from The Legacy and Dogukan Gungor from The Phoenix and Meryem.
It tells the captivating story of the idealistic Doga who falls head over heels for a charming man from a devoted family whose values clash with those of her mother, creating powerful drama as they seek to overcome their differences and find harmony. The drama depicts the conflicts between the conservatives and the seculars in Turkey so beautifully through two families from yesterday.
What if the son of a conservative family and the daughter of a modern mother who was told “These are everywhere”, when she sees them wearing a headscarf and who doesn’t tolerate them, love each other?
“In this powerful series, we witness a wide range of compelling and revealing stories about women. These are women who have lived very challenging lives, growing up in difficult or unusual conditions and environments. Their stories vary from those who suffer physical and psychological violence, to those who are able to experience free and crazy lives. What all these women have in common is that they are very strong characters, but they project their power in a variety of ways,” he explained.
“We are introduced to a woman who grew up in an environment of oppression, facing violence from her husband when she gets married. We witness the transformation that her character undergoes as a result of the trauma. We also delve into the loves, fears and a wide range of emotions that these brave women experience”.
“It is a fact in Turkey that there are families that live side by side, but at different ends of the social spectrum. When watching the series, the audience can see elements of their own life. That way, it’s easy for them to relate to the characters. It is a very brave project that reflects the Turkish society”, he concluded.
One Love has already started to generate buzz outside of Turkey, with Global Agency signing several deals in the CEE region and even one in Latin America in Honduras, with more on the horizon.
