Radio Times launches first major brand advertising campaign in 20 years
Friday 03 July 2026
Radio Times, the UK’s leading entertainment brand, has launched its first major above-the-line campaign focused on changing perceptions of the brand in nearly two decades, with a TV Ad that will run on ITVX for the next six weeks.
Developed in partnership with Why Projects, with media planning and buying managed by December19, the campaign brings Radio Times’ new What’s Worth Watching proposition to life through an advert that shows the brand helping a couple escape entertainment indecision. Set in a twilight-zone-style, time-lapse sequence, the film follows them as they scroll endlessly through viewing options while time slips away.
The creative is rooted in a simple audience insight uncovered during Radio Times’ repositioning work: people are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of entertainment available to them. Across Radio Times’ three core target audiences, people repeatedly reported spending excessive amounts of time searching for something to watch.
“With so much choice across so many platforms, Radio Times’ role has never been more important: helping audiences cut through the noise and find what’s truly worth watching. This campaign brings that purpose to life in a bold, entertaining way, while showing how the brand continues to evolve for today’s viewers.”
Sophie Tudor, Head of Marketing at Radio Times
“It was great to work with the team at Radio Times to develop the new brand advertising campaign. Our idea was to dramatise that dreaded moment that happens in millions of UK homes every evening – the endless scrolling for something worth watching, positioning Radio Times as the knight in shining armour – the ultimate shortcut to better entertainment experiences.”
Nick Sunderland, Founder and Strategy Lead at Why Projects
“We really wanted to bring a sense of humour and joy to the TV advert and tap into that frustration people feel when looking for something decent to watch. We loved the idea that the main character wastes so much time scrolling that he misses a big life moment.”
Stephen Brennan, Creative Director at Why Projects
Earlier this year, Radio Times revealed a refreshed brand identity, developed with Why Projects, to unite its app, website and podcast around its What’s Worth Watching proposition. The new look features a contemporary logotype and compact RT digital icon by Rob Clarke, inspired by classic Radio Times mastheads from the 1970s and 80s, alongside The Beam – a spotlight-inspired graphic device that reflects the brand’s role in cutting through the noise and highlighting entertainment worth viewers’ attention.
To support the campaign launch, Radio Times will also run a brand lift study to measure whether exposure to the advert changes how audiences perceive the brand, helping to inform future marketing investment. The campaign is further supported by a double-page feature in the magazine, which goes behind the scenes of the production.