Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

ITV launches Drama vs Reality brand campaign

12/05/2021

BAFTA-winning actor Jason Watkins and Love Island winner Kem Cetinay go head-to-head in fight for our attention

Unlikely pairing launch new ITV brand campaign Drama vs Reality' to highlight more content on the ITV Hub than ever before

Tonight, ITV kicks off a new brand campaign, titled Drama vs Reality', to highlight the wealth of drama and reality shows that are available on ITV Hub. The idea behind the new campaign shows stars from drama and reality TV stopping at nothing in the fight for our attention.

ITV Hub has kicked off 2021 with its best ever viewing numbers for drama - and titles including The Pembrokeshire Murders, The Bay series 2, Finding Alice, McDonald and Dodds, Grace, Unforgotten series 4, Marcella series 3 and Too Close are all there for viewers to discover.

ITV is also home to the biggest reality series, and full series of Love Island, Ibiza Weekender, The Cabins, Real Housewives of Cheshire and Jersey, and Sam and Billie: The Mummy Diaries are ready and waiting for reality fans to binge on.

The campaign launches tonight with the first TV ad after The Brit Awards this evening, showing the first in a series of unexpected pairings - which sees renowned drama stars pitted against beloved reality stars as they aim to take each other out in amusing, underhand ways in their bid to win the battle for viewers' attention on ITV Hub.

The fully integrated marketing campaign will use multiple media channels, including outdoor as well as over the coming weeks innovative activations on younger skewing platforms such as Snapchat and Tiktok, bringing the Drama vs Reality' idea to life, for what is ITV's biggest brand campaign of recent times.

Jane Stiller ITV's Chief Marketing Officer said:

With this ambitious campaign, we are investing in getting the message out to viewers, especially those that do the majority of their viewing on demand, that ITV Hub is a destination for brilliant content and is the home of the best drama and reality programming.

The first TV ad in the campaign titled Poison', shows unlikely duo, BAFTA award-winning actor Jason Watkins (Des, McDonald and Dodds) having murderous intentions when he invites Love Island's Kem Cetinay over for a drink.

In the playful skit, we find Jason on-set, preparing lines for an upcoming scene, until interrupted by a knock at his trailer door by the unassuming Kem. The pair exchange pleasantries as Jason invites Kem inside for a drink. Seemingly unbeknown to Kem, Jason causes distraction with a cathartic speech on the importance of drama, whilst making a drink for the reality star which is laced with deadly poison.

As the two seem relaxed in one another's company, the battle between drama and reality becomes clear, Kem is one step ahead - swapping his poisoned drink with Jason's to win the fight for our attention - as the new season for Love Island draws closer.

Jason Watkins said:

Delighted to be highlighting the wealth of ITV Drama on the ITV Hub. Fighting Drama's corner! Who knows, maybe one day I'll dip my toe into Reality!

Kem added:

What can I say, I'm a competitive guy so I didn't come to play! When drama and reality collide it all kicks off .

The campaign was created with Uncommon Creative Studio and shot by Oscar-winning Director Tom Hooper (The King's Speech, Les Mis rables) whose credits also include the iconic ITV drama Prime Suspect. Alongside cinematographer Barry Ackroyd, whose BAFTA nominated work includes the iconic Green Zone, Jason Bourne and The Big Short, and Terry Needham, the 1st assistant director on Black Hawk Down.

Media for the campaign was planned and delivered by Essence.

The campaign is set to follow with another unanticipated battle between ITV drama and reality TV stars launching next week. Stay tuned.
LINK: https://www.itv.com/presscentre/press-releases/itv-launches-drama-vs-r...
See more stories from itv

Europe Stories

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

18/03/2026

Music Row Piano from Wiltone Productions

Yamaha C7 captured in Nashville Wiltone Productions have announced the release of Music Row Piano, a deeply sampled Yamaha C7 piano library that's been ...

18/03/2026

Techivation introduce T-Warmer Mk2

Bass-enhancement plug-in upgraded Along with a steady stream of new releases, Techivation have recently been revisiting some of the older plug-ins in their ...

18/03/2026

Tonal Balance Control 3 from iZotope

Mix-reference plug-in overhauled iZotope's powerful mix-referencing plug-in has just reached its third major version, and now boasts a new capture proce...

18/03/2026

Toontrack Transistor Organ EKX

Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...

18/03/2026

Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz at NAB 2026

Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz...

18/03/2026

LCTWS 2026

London Calling - When The Industry Convened to Help Streaming Find its MoJo In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World...

18/03/2026

SES Announces Extension of Tender Offer

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...

18/03/2026

X-Rite Pantone Demonstrates Advanced Color Management Solutions to Support Smart Manufacturing at MAX and American Coatings Show

X-Rite Pantone Demonstrates Advanced Color Management Solutions to Support Smart...

18/03/2026

BAFTA winner James McAvoy to star in Sky Original series Meantime, based on the novel by Frankie Boyle

Wednesday 18 March 2026 BAFTA winner James McAvoy to star in Sky Original serie...

18/03/2026

Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing announce multi-year agreement for the UK and Ireland

Wednesday 18 March 2026 Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing announce multi-year agreement for the UK and Ireland Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing have announced a new mult...

18/03/2026

Sky Unveils Poster and Trailer for Original Feature Film Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom

Wednesday 18 March 2026 Sky Unveils Poster and Trailer for Original Feature Fil...

18/03/2026

UP NEXT: Sky presents a bold slate of new, premium acquired content

Wednesday 18 March 2026 UP NEXT: Sky presents a bold slate of new, premium acquired content Sky reveals slate of newly acquired premium drama and comedy, as i...

18/03/2026

UP NEXT: Sky unveils an unmissable genre-spanning slate of new shows, exclusive previews and first looks for 2026 and beyond

Wednesday 18 March 2026 UP NEXT: Sky unveils an unmissable genre-spanning slate...

18/03/2026

Harmonic Enhances XOS Advanced Media Processor to Streamline Next-Generation Broadcast Distribution

New Playout-to-Delivery Capabilities Elevate ATSC 3.0 Experiences, Lower DTV In...

17/03/2026

How Fresh Finds Africa Propelled Rapper Zaylevelten to a Breakout Year

Fresh Finds Africa spotlights emerging artists and movements across the continent and its global diaspora, with listeners tuning in to discover new Afro-forward...

17/03/2026

Spotify Sparked Viral Moments at G27: genie fest, Driving the Discovery of Thai Rock

Last month, more than 60,000 fans piled into Bangkok's Rajamangala National ...

17/03/2026

Black Rooster Audio release VWB-1X

Vintage-inspired channel strip joins line-up Black Rooster Audio's latest plug-in provides an all-in-one mixing tool inspired by classic analogue consol...

17/03/2026

Accentize unveil dxSplit

Level and EQ voice, reverb and noise independently The latest plug-in to join Accentize's collection is said to take a new approach to dialogue processi...

17/03/2026

RF Spectrum Threat: OFCOM Survey

UHF radio mic & IEM bandwidth at risk Once again, the UHF bandwidth that is currently allocated to RF audio gear is at risk of being reassigned to high-spee...

17/03/2026

SGL Carbon hosts Bavaria's first pilot training course for prospective plant fire department squad leaders

Last Friday, the first Plant Fire Department Training Week in Bavaria successf...

17/03/2026

SES Launches Cash Tender Offer

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...

17/03/2026

Comscore Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results

Comscore Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results RESTON, Va., March 17, 2026 - Comscore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a trusted partner for planning, transact...

17/03/2026

VEON Strengthens Leadership Team to Accelerate Digital Ambition

17 Mar 2026 VEON Strengthens Leadership Team to Accelerate Digital Ambition Senior executive appointments are to enhance country operations and VEON Group'...

17/03/2026

Sam Tewungwa Appointed CEO of UKTV

UKTV today announces the appointment of Sam Tewungwa as Chief Executive Officer, who will lead the company's next phase of growth. Tewungwa, currently Mana...

17/03/2026

Disney+ included in the Sky TV subscription from today, bringing customers more of the best entertainment in one place

Tuesday 17 March 2026 Disney included in the Sky TV subscription from today, b...

17/03/2026

First look: Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars in Sky Original supernatural thriller Possession

The five-part thriller, formerly known as Inheritance, also stars Jonny Lee Mill...

17/03/2026

Sky Arts welcomes Fearne Cotton as co-host of Landscape Artist of the Year

Tuesday 17 March 2026 Sky Arts welcomes Fearne Cotton as co-host of Landscape Artist of the Year Sky Arts' much-loved Landscape Artist of the Year is set ...

17/03/2026

Ella Purnell returns as wallflower-turned-killer in Sky Original Sweetpea

Season 2 of the darkly comic thriller will launch on Sky in 2026Tuesday 17 March 2026 Ella Purnell returns as wallflower-turned-killer in Sky Original Sweetpea...

16/03/2026

Cloudvocal launch the SonoFlex instrument mic

Promises studio-grade fidelity for the stage Cloudvocal have announced the launch of a new instrument mic designed for professional live performers and engi...

16/03/2026

Kenton reveal the USB Solo Mk2

Popular MIDI/CV converter & interface overhauled Kenton have announced the launch of the USB Solo Mk2, a new and improved version of their compact MIDI to C...

16/03/2026

Sonarworks Spring Sale

Running from 16-29 March 2026 Starting from today (16 March) and running until 29 March 2026, Sonarworks are offering discounts of up to 40% across their ra...

16/03/2026

aconnic ramping up delivery of commercial 100-gigabit system

aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, is delivering the first commercial 100-Gigabit systems following successful validation and certification for customer n...

16/03/2026

VIZ Media Releases Official Teaser Trailer and Key Art For Hirayasumi Anime

VIZ Media Releases Official Teaser Trailer and Key Art For Hirayasumi Anime SAN FRANCISCO, CA March 16, 2026 Leading global manga and anime producer VI...

16/03/2026

VEON Files its 2025 Annual Report on Form 20-F

16 Mar 2026 VEON Files its 2025 Annual Report on Form 20-F Dubai and New York, March 16, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator ( VEON'...

16/03/2026

Sky Commissions The 100 Day Split, A New Relationship Series Exploring What Time Apart Reveals About Lifelong Love

Six Couples. 100 Days Apart. One Question: Does Absence Make the Heart Grow Fond...

16/03/2026

Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan and Riz Ahmed announced as first three hosts of Saturday Night Live UK

Monday 16 March 2026 Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan and Riz Ahmed announced as first th...

16/03/2026

All UK national newspapers move to private circulation reporting while remaining audited by ABC

The reporting option was introduced following extensive consultation with publis...

16/03/2026

Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins wins Dancing with the Stars 2026

After a nail-biting Grand Finale, Rose of Tralee Katelyn Cummins has been announced as the winner of Dancing with the Stars 2026. The four finalists each dance...

16/03/2026

New RT series Welcome to Moore Street gives a glimpse into life on iconic Dublin street

Welcome to Moore Street will begin on RT One and RT Player on Thursday 19 Marc...

15/03/2026

Visit ToolsOnAir at NAB Las Vegas 2026

Visit ToolsOnAir at NAB Las Vegas 2026 More Details:From April 19-22, join us at NAB Show Las Vegas in the North Hall, Booth N1258, for an exclusive preview of...

15/03/2026

Outland III from The Very Loud Indeed Co.

Latest dark drama, thrillers & tension library announced The Very Loud Indeed Co.'s latest Kontakt library has just arrived, delivering a third instalme...

14/03/2026

HISONG announce the AirStudio S1

Combines mic, USB interface & wireless IEMs Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, HISONG have announced that their innovative AirStudio S1 device is ...

13/03/2026

A New Era of Personalization: Shape Your Taste Profile on Spotify

Spotify has always been built around your taste. More than 80% of listeners say personalization is what they love most about us. Now we're taking that even ...

13/03/2026

Spotify Debuts Legends Club for Popular German-Language Podcasts With Kaulitz Hills'

The new Spotify Legends Club has opened its doors. Its members: select German-sp...

13/03/2026

Klevgrand release OneShot2

Pushing drum sampler technology into new territories The latest version of Klevgrand's software drum sampler has just arrived, boasting a newly designe...