BP Returns to TV

BP is back on TV in the UK, launching its first TV commercial in five years — and its first big advertising push since the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster last year. The oil giant is underscoring its upcoming role as a sponsor of the London 2012 Olympics.

The 30-second spot, airing tonight, references "fuels of the future" as British track athlete Jessica Ennis and Paralympic runner Richard Whitehead, both BP-sponsored athletes from the Olympics and Paralympics, traverse BP bio-fields, surrounded by cars. The tagline: "London 2012 fuelling the future."

It’s been five years since the oil giant had a new television ad, and this one, from Ogilvy & Mather, with production company Knucklehead, and media agency Mindshare, hopes to reframe the brand and move forward, particularly with the Olympics as a positive messaging platform.

"We thought now people were in the mood to listen to message about the Olympics. We had to be thoughtful about the project and the brand, and to get the voice right. I’m confident people will see BP in a positive way," commented Duncan Blake, director of brand at BP.