Weight Watchers is to broadcast one of the longest adverts on British television on nearly every commercial channel, including ITV1 and Channel 4, between 6.30pm and 7pm on January 1st 2012. At three minutes and ten seconds long, the advert is also a music video, fronted by Alesha Dixon. The song will also be available to download from iTunes the same day, with 25p from each sale going to Weight Watchers’ chosen charity, Tommy’s.
The cost of the campaign for New Year’s Day is about £15million, including the making and airing of the advert. The song that the music video accompanies will be simultaneously released with the ambition of taking it to the top of the singles chart. Written by Alesha, it is performed by the Strictly judge and a group of 180 women – and a few men – who have never performed before, let alone appeared in a TV ad. After January 1, it will be trimmed back to 20- or 10-second slots featuring case studies of women in the commercial.
In the ad Alesha and the group are seen singing ‘Do It Our Way (Play)’ as they get ready for a night out before parading down a cobbled street. It was shot in one of London’s busiest shopping areas just off Oxford Street – which was cleared for the occasion – and involved a crew of more than 100. Kate Stanners of the agency Saatchi & Saatchi, who dreamed up the ad, said it had been challenging not using ‘seasoned professionals’, but the Weight Watchers stars had been on ‘an incredible journey’ and this was their moment to ‘shout their success from the rooftops’.
Alesha has never struggled with her weight, but decided to get involved in the project because Weight Watchers helped one of her best friends.
