ITV says it’s not all soaps and reality shows in first work from Uncommon

It goes without saying that it’s a crucial time for ITV, as the public service broadcaster faces up to competition from less regulated online rivals like Netflix and Amazon, as well as Sky’s deeper pockets.

ITV asked Uncommon to create a new positioning for its brand last April, and the agency has come out fighting with some bold claims about ITV’s drama output under the “More Than TV” strapline.

ITV has cunningly secured the services of James Marsh, who directed two Oscar winners (“The Theory of Everything” and “Man on Wire”) as well as compelling TV drama, “The Night Of,” for the campaign. Marsh’s two spots are dramatic in scale, and each features a lead character explaining how they work and what motivates them.

Nils Leonard, Co-founder at Uncommon said: “Our favourite characters remind us of the people we love, the people we hate and sometimes even ourselves. They live beyond the screen, emphasising the power great TV can have. This work is about provoking people to look again at ITV.”

If ITV really believes it can compete on drama, good luck to it, but the endless rehashing of “Cold Feet” doesn’t really match up to the ad campaign’s promise.

MAA creative scale: 7