UK-based research company KidsKnowBest is rolling out its first work of original content at an interesting time…we are in the middle of a global pandemic, after all.

Focused on kids in their natural habitat, the user-generated show Staying Up acts not only as a good piece of observational research, but it’s also a way for kids to see how their peers are coping with the global lockdowns, says King Adz, chief marketing officer at KidsKnowBest.

The minute-long series is rolling out on social channels and features kids in their homes, Adz says. After calling for participants on social media, the company provided parents with a brief that included instructions to film kids as they play, talk about what they’re reading or eating, or answer questions about how they feel right now.

“It’s a window into the lives of the younger end of our audiences during the lockdown in Britain,” he says. While the content only exists on social media at the moment, Adz says there’s been interest from other platforms about repurposing the shorts. There’s no word yet on how many episodes the series will contain, with Adz saying that the company has a number of hours of content already filmed, and that it will evaluate series length as it goes. 

Entering the user-generated content category made sense for KidsKnow Best for three reasons. First, the series allows the firm to continue its research into kids’ daily lives, even amid social distancing measures. Second, the content provides KidsKnowBest clients a look into how the research firm is continuing its work, and helps keep the firm top of mind. “It’s our shop window,” Adz says.

Finally, the show is a way of reflecting kids’ lives back to kids, which Adz hopes will help local children deal with their own anxieties and fears related to the pandemic. “Whenever I when I was a kid, [if] I found people who had similar stories or outlooks to life to me, it always made me feel a lot better.”