Today marks the launch of UKTV’s new Masterbrand U, which sees its free streaming service transition to U and its free-to-air channels become U&Dave, U&W, U&DRAMA and U&YESTERDAY.Viewers will see the changes on air and across platforms, with all assets reflecting the new brand design system.
To kick off the launch, UKTV has teamed up with legendary singer Cher for an advert that celebrates the wealth of free quality content on the U streaming service, promising its viewers they can lose themselves in what they love, “whatever you want to watch, we’ve got U”.In a creative twist, the global superstar is travelling through some of Britain’s best-loved shows on U, performing a new rendition of the iconic song, I Got You Babe, which was recorded especially for the launch of U.
U’s launch is supported by an extensive media campaign, created in partnership with culture-first media agency Havas Entertainment. It has been designed to deliver the most personally recommended campaign ever carried out by the broadcaster, with the aim of generating buzz and awareness for the new Masterbrand, while emphasising the depth and breadth of content available on U.
"We’ve taken a bold approach to our new branding"
Penny Brough, UKTV’s Chief Marketing Officer, said, “Following ten months of research, design work and asset creation, I couldn’t be more excited to see U come to life on and off air. We’ve taken a bold approach to our new branding, and this has been matched by our biggest ever multi-media campaign and our launch advert featuring Cher, one of the most recognisable women in the world.
“Our aim was to deliver an advert that’s authentic, memorable, creates talkability and feels every bit as dynamic as our new Masterbrand U. Cher’s iconic song I Got You Babe perfectly aligns with our campaign tagline “We’ve Got U”, reflecting the depth and range of almost 8,500 hours of free content available on the U streaming service.”
The advert starts with UKTV execs pitching their creative to Cher, who, in a vision, says she “can see it now”, and immediately starts singing I Got You Babe. Along the way, Cher meets EastEnders’ Barry (Shaun Williamson), and together they perform karaoke in the Queen Vic, as well as meeting Orlando Bloom who’s perched on the top of a rock as he tests his physical and mental strength in the self-titled, Orlando Bloom: To the Edge. The superstar also has a chance to test her own nerve as she’s sat in the back of a car driven by Chris Kamara and Jeff Stelling, cheating death in Sri Lanka in World’s Most Dangerous Roads.
Viewers can catch a glimpse of Cher make a surprise appearance in Secrets of the London Underground, as well as many other well-loved shows including popular series, Annika, which sees Cher perform to DI Annika Strandhed (Nicola Walker) who heads up the show's Marine Homicide Unit, as the unlikely duo don lifejackets, setting sail on the Scottish waters.
The TV commercial was developed by UKTV’s in-house creative agency in partnership with HunkyDory Films, and led by Scott Russell, UKTV’s Creative Director. It was directed by Christian Bevilacqua, with Leanne Farleigh as Senior Producer, Mary Claire Seiler as Head of Production and Eoin McLaughlin as Creative Consultant.
"We wanted to create an ambitious advert to launch U"
Scott Russell said: “We wanted to create an ambitious advert to launch U to highlight the variety of quality programming and to stand out in a hugely competitive landscape. It had to be joyful, have content at its heart, and to tell the story of whatever you love, we’ve got you. What’s more, it needed to be memorable and have a surprise factor that was not only authentic but connected with current and new viewers. Who better to do this than mega superstar, Cher, performing a brand-new version of her iconic song, I Got You Babe, whilst meeting some new and familiar friends on the way?”
The advert will be available on UKTV’s social and linear channels including U&Dave, U&Drama, U&Yesterday and U&W from today, and supported by UKTV’s biggest ever media spend on ITV, Channel 4 and Sky, as well as YouTube, Facebook and TikTok. To complement this, UKTV’s media agency, Havas Entertainment, has secured a strategic radio takeover in partnership with Bauer on the day of launch, with the renaming of Absolute Radio to U&Absolute Radio plus activity across Magic Radio (becoming U&Magic Radio online) and Greatest Hits Radio for the day, featuring on-air endorsements from top talent and personalised U channel recommendations for callers-in, based on their music preferences.
U’s 360 launch campaign will also be seen across Britain’s most prominent poster sites, celebrating new and exclusive shows using a fly-poster design that helps to showcase U’s range of content in a noisy and disruptive way.
Additional activations include social media takeovers, CTV UI, digital display, online videos, and a unique TV dinner pop-up restaurant.
The multi-media campaign to launch U builds on a series of successful campaigns UKTV and Havas Entertainment have developed together since 2021, with their partnership having been extended earlier this year. Recent successes include the Campaign Media Week Award-shortlisted Boxpark and Dave campaign and the Campaign Tech Award-winning 'Best Use of Data' campaign, which drove significant growth for UKTV Play (now U).
Alex Sherr, Managing Partner, Havas Entertainment, "It's brilliant to support U during this exciting period of transformation and growth for the brand. U’s commitment to fostering joy through its diverse range of shows has a deep-rooted place in our culture, which is what we’re all about. We now enter our fourth year together, which we can’t quite believe but have loved every second. We’re excited to play our role in supporting U's ongoing brand evolution and mission to redefine free-to-air streaming for the better."
Masterbrand design system
UKTV’s Creative team worked in partnership with global brand consultancy Wolff Olins on the design system for the new U visual identity, leading to the creation of over 19,500 assets. The decision was made early on to move away from UKTV Play’s teal logo colour.
Peter Allinson, UKTV’s Head of Design said, "It's always smart to check how well certain brand elements are performing and what value they bring. We found that the UKTV Play teal colour placed our streaming service among many competitors, while coral was a unique choice not used by other VOD brands. The new colour brings warmth and personality to U, making it the perfect fit for us."
"However, it was important for our free-to-air channels to keep their familiar qualities and beloved personalities. So, we distilled each channel’s identity to a core brand colour that felt familiar and was easy to incorporate into our design system. We also wanted a font that suited our diverse portfolio. We chose the ‘Right’ font family for its diverse range, from Grotesk to Serif to Slab variations, providing variety while maintaining a consistent look across our network of brands.”
The rationale behind the new branding is linked to UKTV’s ambitious growth strategy, which is focussed on supercharging streaming. A key driver of this is connecting and better leveraging the brands within UKTV's estate. The launch of this new Masterbrand supports this strategy by making it easier for users to navigate both online and on-air. The simplicity of the new U brand architecture also retains the names and equity of the existing channel brands that are well-known and loved across the UK.
Consumers can now find out how to stream on U here.
For more information, please contact:
Kerry Goode, Director of Communications, UKTV
Yvette Dore, Corporate Communications Manager, UKTV
Notes to Editors
#wegotu
TVC Credits for U ad:
Creative Agency: UKTV Creative
Production Partner: HunkyDory Films
Creative Director: Scott Russell
Creative Consultant: Eoin Mclaughlin
Director: Christian Bevilacqua
Senior Producer: Leanne Farleigh
Talent Acquisition/Liaison: Leanne Farleigh
Head of Production: Mary Claire Seiler
Assistant Producer: Olivia Watters
Head of Design: Peter Allinson
Post Production: HunkyDory Films/ Al Sinclair
VFX: HunkyDory Films
U campaign marketing credits:
Chief Marketing Officer: Penny Brough
Marketing Director: Nick Gilmer
Head of Marketing: Jo Earthy
Marketing Manager: Cheryl Vaz
Programming on U
U is UKTV’s free streaming service, providing instant access to shows from UKTV's free-to-air channels – U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&W and U&YESTERDAY. Viewers can browse 8,500 hours of programming – including exclusive content, award-winning originals, premiere acquisitions and iconic BBC programmes across drama, (Whitstable Pearl, Marlow Murder Club, Annika, Sister Boniface Mysteries, Sons of Anarchy, Mike, Madam Secretary, A Million Little Things, The Shield, The Bill, Classic EastEnders, Holby City plus upcoming series in 2025 such as Bergerac and Outrageous), comedy (Meet the Richardsons, Red Dwarf, Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, We Are Not Alone, Rosie Jones’s Comedy Disability Extravaganza), entertainment (Battle in the Box, Big Zuu's Big Eats, David Mitchell's Outsiders, QI, Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable, World's Most Dangerous Roads), and factual entertainment (Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, MasterChef Australia, Katie Piper: Jailhouse Mums, Emma Willis: Delivering Babies, Secrets of the London Underground, Bangers & Cash, Orlanda Bloom: To The Edge). U is available through the U app via computer, tablet or smart phone, or on television with Freeview Play, Amazon Fire TV, YouView, Samsung TV, Apple TV, Freesat, NOW and Roku.
About UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 30 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands – U&Dave, U&DRAMA, U&W, U&YESTERDAY, Gold, Alibi and Eden - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to UK viewers through free streaming service U, Sky, Virgin Media, NOW, Freeview and Freesat; and to Irish viewers through Sky, Virgin Media, Eir, Vodafone and NOW. Channel & content availability varies by platform. UKTV’s content is also available to UK viewers via dedicated FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Freevee, Pluto TV and Virgin Media.
UKTV is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers. The broadcaster is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.
About Havas Entertainment
We are the creative media rebels obsessed with helping brands turn up in culture. Founded in 2021 to disrupt the cultural landscape, we are a culture-first comms agency that delivers a connected blend of media, creativity, data and audience insight to turn fans into consumers and consumers into fans.
Creative culture is our thing. We turn films into captivating metaverse games and take game fans on an intergalactic odyssey through a thousand unique pieces of ooh creative. We reimagine the world of online dating and we bring young people back to broadcast media by turning up in unexpected untapped places.
All backed by the scale and data power that Havas Media Network offers.
We’re experts in gaming, film, TV, audio, toys, live arts, music and more, working across international markets with the likes of SEGA, Bethesda, Square Enix, Remy Cointreau, Bumble, UMG, STUDIOCANAL, Royal Opera House, Penguin Random House, Beats by Dre, Dr Martens and UKTV.
Headed up by managing director Hamid Habib, we have been recognised five times in six years as Campaign’s best places to work. We turn up regularly at Campaign Media Awards, Media Awards and Campaign Tech Awards, among others.