UFOs spotted in new TV ad from Thinkbox

Thinkbox is preparing to invade TV on Boxing Day with a new sci-fi-themed ad.

The marketing body for television, in collaboration with Red Brick Road, has produced the tongue-in-cheek creative to show-off the power of advertising through the medium.

The ad will be screened across a variety of broadcast and on-demand TV channels represented by Thinkbox’s shareholders and their partner channels, and is the first ad Thinkbox has made since concluding its trilogy of ads featuring Harvey the dog.

“Following the retirement of the star of Thinkbox’s previous TV ads – Harvey the dog is currently writing a memoir – we wanted to do something completely different in style and tone: something that entertains viewers, stands out in the ad break, and clearly shows the power of TV advertising,” said Thinkbox marketing director Andrew MacGillivray.

“We believe this new TV ad brings to life the scale, cultural reach, impact and synchronicity of TV advertising. It shows that if you want to speak to the whole nation at the same time and have a genuine impact, then you use TV. Aliens are optional.”

Thinkbox, through Mediacom, collaborated with DFS, Lucozade and Sheba to create one-off versions of their TV ads which are mysteriously interrupted by messages from the incoming extra-terrestrials trying to make contact with Earth.

Throughout the storytelling ad break, as the aliens get closer, their message gets clearer, culminating with the Thinkbox 60-second ad making its broadcast debut.

The creative media breaks will take place during Captain Phillips on ITV, Big Fat Quiz of the Year on Channel 4, Love Actually on ITV2, Game of Thrones on Sky Atlantic, Conviction on Sky Living and Transformers on Sky One.