How ITV turned the Post Office scandal into a national campaign for change

According to its brand purpose, ITV aims to tap into the cultural pulse of the UK and make a real impact on society. These goals drove the broadcaster’s decision to commission Mr Bates vs The Post Office, a drama series telling the story of the hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters and postmistresses wrongly accused of theft due to the defective Horizon IT system.

With the series premiere set for 1 January 2024, ITV focused on getting the word out. The broadcaster created a major TV advertising campaign for the series, which aired during some of its most popular shows. The emotive trailers helped ITV to achieve one of its highest ever intention-to-watch scores for a drama.

During the early weeks of January, the broadcaster also generated hundreds of pieces of press coverage, which included placing cast members and Sir Alan Bates – the real-life sub-postmaster who inspired the story – on radio and TV shows to talk about the scandal. Social media amplified the buzz, while CRM channels delivered targeted messages about the series to viewers.

Results for January 2024 show total ITV viewing was up by 5% against its target for the month, as streaming hours rose 60% year-on-year and digital revenue increased by 14% year-on-year.

Crucially, the series generated mass awareness and led to pressure on the government and Post Office to take action. Fifty new potential victims came forward and the government announced a plan to exonerate wrongly convicted sub-postmasters and provide compensation. By shining a light on this story and driving real societal change, ITV was named winner of the 2024 Marketing Week Award for Brand Purpose.