UKTV has returned to having a single on-air brand that unifies both its linear channels and steaming service.
From today the free streaming service, previously known as UKTV Play becomes U, while the free-to-air channels will be known as U&Dave, U&W, U&DRAMA and U&YESTERDAY.
The launch of the Masterbrand is being promoted through an advertisement featuring legendary singer Cher that’s designed to promote the range of content available on the BBC Studios-owned channels.
Cher is seen 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.
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.
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.
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.
