Uncommon has a flair for brave advertising. Positioning a TV station as something that shapes culture is brave. Uncommon’s campaign for ITV uses its most popular shows as evidence, not of the broadcaster’s power to entertain, but to inform. “We are changed by what we see,” the commercial concludes, “Just as we are changed when we are seen.”
The film, which is narrated by news presenter, Sir Trevor McDonald, is a montage of ITV and ITN footage from programmes from the 1960s to 2019, or stories as the film calls them, throughout history – showing also how they were seen by their audiences at the time. McDonald was knighted in 1999 for his services to journalism.
The film’s stories include Corrie’s Hayley Cropper as the first transgender character in a British soap in 1998, World in Action documentary footage from gay pride demonstrations in the 1970s, Lost Voice Guy becoming the first comedian to win Britain’s Got Talent in 2018 and ITV weatherman, Alex Beresford’s, praised interruption during a live debate on knife crime during Good Morning Britain in January 2019.
Nils Leonard, co-founder at Uncommon, commented, “This work moves people to look again, at the stories they think they know, and at the network they have made their mind up about. ITV reaches tens of millions of people every week, and the stories it creates take on some of the UK’s biggest issues. While the television ITV makes entertains millions, it also asks questions of us all, brings modern tensions to bear and pushes culture forwards. ITV marries entertainment, scale and purpose week in, week out: this is creativity in its most powerful form.”
Rufus Radcliffe, ITV Chief Marketing Officer, added, “This latest film in our new More than TV brand advertising campaign shines a light on some of the powerful stories ITV has told over the course of its history that have shaped culture in Britain. It is an impactful and emotional snapshot of the moments that have raised awareness and understanding of important and difficult subject matters to millions of viewers.”
The film was directed by Billy Boyd Cape through Academy Films. Cape recently won Best New Director at The British Arrows 2019. The music was composed specifically for the film by Soundtree. The film will air across TV (including Sky and Channel 4), digital and cinema after making its on air debut during Britain’s Got Talent on Easter Saturday.
Credits:
Agency: Uncommon Creative Studio London
Production company: Academy Film
Director: Billy Boyd Cape
Producers: Juliette Harris and Simon Cooper
Editing: Ed Cooper @ The Assembly Rooms
DOP: Molly Manning Walker
Post-production: The Mill
VFX Supervisor: James Mac
Post production producer: Ange Toner
Grade: Cheat
Colourist: Toby Tomkins
Soundtrack composer: Luis Almau
Audio post-production: Soundtree
Sound design: Henning Knoepfel
Music Supervisor: Jay James
Media agency: Goodstuff Communications
Client: ITV
Chief Marketing Officer: Rufus Radcliffe
Director of Viewer Marketing: Paul Ridsdale
Head of Marketing – Brand Project: Sian Jones
Footage Researcher: Tom Harris
