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.

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.

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 find out how to stream U here.