Biggest Freeview Campaign to Date Depicts Orwellian Subscription Future

Freeview has unveiled its biggest ever advertising campaign to launch connected TV service Freeview Play.

Airing from Friday 2 October, the new TV ad ‘Set Yourself Free’ launched as a premiere ad break during Emmerdale under ITV’s Proud to Present banner and was introduced by the channel’s continuity announcer. The ad is a two minute CGI film which opens in an Orwellian world with an army of TVs brainwashing inhabitants to ‘conform’, ‘upgrade’ and ‘subscribe’. 

In this world is the advert’s young Hero TV, at odds with those around him, and a girl with her dog who long for a better way to watch TV. As the Freeview Play Hero TV escapes the dystopian world, the viewer follows his journey until he is united with the girl and dog and opens up a whole new world of free-to-air television to them.

‘Set Yourself Free’ is set to a new version of the iconic ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ from Les Miserables, performed by Sarah Kingsmill and recorded specially for the campaign.

The TV campaign will also include 60 and 40 second versions plus product adverts which explain the features and benefits of Freeview Play. It will also be complemented by in-store, print and outdoor advertising as well as digital and social activation.

Freeview Play launches this month and combines catch-up TV, on-demand services and live television, bringing the ability to watch what you want, when you want, as easily as possible, to the mass market. The service is free from subscription and works with all existing broadband Guy North, Freeview Managing Director, said: “Freeview Play is the biggest development in the brand's history and our new advert perfectly illustrates that with it viewers are now free to choose the TV service that best meets their needs.”

Owen Jenkinson, Freeview Head of Marketing, said: “Set Yourself Free is really an emancipation story.  The aim of the advert is to challenge category norms and show that there is a better, savvier way to watch free TV in a visually striking and compelling narrative.”

‘Set Yourself Free’ was created by Leo Burnett London with visual effects by Electric Theatre Collective. Directed by Sam Brown at Rogue and Sam Taylor and Bjorn- Erik Aschim at The Line. MEC is Freeview’s media buying agency.

Full Credits

Agency:  Leo Burnett London 

Creative Directors:  Matt Collier & Wayne Robinson 

Copywriters:  Phillip Meyler & Darren Keff

Art Directors:  Phillip Meyler & Darren Keff

Executive Creative Director:  Justin Tindall 

Agency Executive Producer:  Becks O’Sullivan 

Client Service Director:  Darren Thomas 

Board Account Director:  Kate Nicoli 

Senior Account Manager:  Ali Wilde

Senior Planner:  Max Keane

Production Company:  Rogue & Electric Theatre Collective 

Directors:  Sam Brown at Rogue. Sam Taylor and Bjorn- Erik Aschim at The Line. 

Producers: Kate Hitchings at Rogue & Serena Noorani at Electric Theatre Collective 

Concepting

Bjorn Erik-Aschim, Sam Taylor, Manddy Wyckens, Kristian Antonelli, Sébastien Iglesias, Neil Ross, Wesley Louis, Jonathan Djob Nkondo, James Hatley, Tom Flavelle, Fréderik Storm, Mike Shorten 

Reference: Max Taylor, George Wheeler

Animatic: Adam Jeffcoat

Post Production (Electric Theatre Collective)

Producer: Serena Noorani & Sian

2D Leads: Taran Spear & James

Flame Assist: Ant Walsham, Paul Wilmot, Andrew Steward

Nuke: Bernardo Varela, Sherin Mahboob, Alex Grey, Alex Prod’Homme, Marco Baratto, Marko Perendija, Pat Wong, Chris Fraser

Lead CG

James Sindle

Dean Robinson

Remi Dessinges

Rich Thomas

Graeme Turnbull

CG 

Build

Julien Soulage

Sergio Morales Paz

Michele Fabbro 

Deniz Cinar

Luping Shi

Hendrik Freuer

Annie Rowland

Oscar Hill

Francesco Pelosi

Baptiste Roy

Fran Saa 

Laury Guitrand

Joao Peres

Max Van der Merwe

Denis Bodart

Arnau Gilabert

Abner Marin

Greg Coehlo

Adam Lindsey

Pietro Licini

Alessandro Costa

Pete Colebatch

Mike Gilbert

Riggers

Jeroen Hooghoudt

Mikael Johansson

Animators

Joffrey Zeitouni, 

Paul Templema

Jesus Parra

Anthony Vincent 

Scott Beharrell Bono

Aziz Kocanaogullari

Eduardo Castells Mateo

Lighting

James Sindle

Dean Robinson

Remi Dessignes

Rich Thomas

Graeme Turnbull

Julien Soulage

Luping Shi  

Hendrik Freuer

Annie Rowland

2D animation

Tim Mccourt, Sam Taylor, Denis Bodart, Bjorn Erik-Aschim

Music Production

Music Production Company:  Jeff Wayne Music Group

Arranger/Conductor/Producer:  John Altman

Singer: Sarah Kingsmill

Licence negotiation and clearance: Jeff Wayne Music Group