Cher duets with Barry from EastEnders on one of her greatest hits in surreal new advert
What about Janine Butcher?!
Believe it or not, pop icon Cher sings ‘I Got You Babe’ on karaoke with Barry from EastEnders in a new advert for UKTV.
Released today (16 July 2024), the promo for the platform’s new free streamer U also features the actor Jon Hamm, back in character as Don Draper in Mad Men.
The clip begins with execs pitching the service to Cher, saying: “Cher, may we present the entertainment launch of the year: U!
“And we want ‘U’ to help us ‘Cher’ the news…”
“Stop!” Cher responds. “I can see it now!” She then daydreams about a series of staggeringly disparate shows, from presenting a cake in the shape of the letter ‘U’ to the judges in MasterChef Australia to hitching a lift in crime drama series Sons of Anarchy.
Eventually, she and Barry (Shaun Williamson) end up on stage at The Queen Vic, which is cute – but we’re frankly annoyed Janine Butcher wasn’t invited!
“We wanted to create an ambitious advert”
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.
“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,” Russell said.
“It had to be joyful, have content at its heart, and to tell the story of whatever you love, we’ve got ‘U’.
“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’ve Got You Babe’, whilst meeting some new and familiar friends on the way?”
Jimmy Carr and Orlando Bloom also appear in the advert.
Penny Brough, UKTV’s chief marketing officer, said the 10 months went into the ad (as per The Media Leader): “Our aim was to deliver an advert that’s authentic, memorable, creates talkability and feels every bit as dynamic as our new masterbrand U,” Brough said.
“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.”
Originally released in 1965, ‘I Got You Babe’ was a number one hit in the UK and the US.