The new strategic thinking aims to highlight ITV’s belief in the power of creativity to lift people and culture, and the emotional power of great TV content. The first work focuses on ITV drama.

As a genre, it uniquely compels, through powerful characters we become hooked. Often these characters play out a recognisable archetype, even if we don’t realise it, they sit behind many of the dramas we watch. These characters live beyond the screen, emphasising the power great TV can have.

‘Great Characters Make Great Drama’ celebrates the impact great drama has on our lives beyond the screen. The campaign encompasses two films which both highlight the complexity and depth of ITV characters and the compelling stories they tell. Each film portrays a different character archetype. The characters do a rare thing, breaking the fourth wall, they directly speak to the viewer explaining how they work, what fuels them and ultimately, why we are moved by them and seek them out.

‘The Patriarch’ - the first of the character driven spots is a haunting elegy. The battle weary father figure directly challenges us, opens up, and plays out an unspoken insight: That the ones we love often live within the characters we love.