ITV
Delivering Palooza, the ITV brand’s annual advertising showcase
ITV Palooza is ITV’s annual upfront, where new programming and commercial opportunities are shared with advertisers, agencies and talent. In 2025, ITV’s 70th year, the event was returning after a hiatus. Identity won the work through a competitive pitch to become the event’s entertainment activation agency.
The challenge
The challenge was to honour seven decades of broadcasting history while unveiling exciting future programming to secure advertising partnerships, all within The Barbican’s iconic, historical listed building.
The approach
In close collaboration with ITV’s events and marketing teams, Identity developed a visual and experiential narrative that tied 70 years of advertising heritage to forward-looking brand storytelling
The Barbican’s main lobby and large auditorium were transformed, with a redesigned stage set against large-scale LED screens and a theatrically lit performance area.
Complex AV requirements
Identity’s technical production team managed complex AV, including large-format projection mapping and lighting that changed with each advertising era, while its lighting designers created bespoke effects for ITV’s new brand assets.
The ITVees were created for the show
Three singers were cast for the show and performed ITV’s story through the evening alongside host Graham Norton, and Kevin Lygo’s address became Late Night Lygo, a talk-show segment. The opening recreated 15 classic adverts live, including Cadbury’s Drumming Gorilla, the Tango Orange Man’s famous slap and Sheila’s Wheels. The team also ran talent management and green room coordination, and looked after guests through to the after-party.
The result
The 2025 edition put Palooza back in the UK media calendar after its hiatus.
It turned the event from a corporate showcase into a fully staged entertainment production, where the commercial messaging sat inside the show, and the live advert recreations became the highlight of the night. The same evening covered 70 years of ITV heritage and set out what comes next.
Related work
Experience
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