The iconic Piccadilly Lights out of home screen will run a film to commemorate Victory in Europe Day.

The large format out of home campaign will form part of the four days of celebration from the 5th to the 8th May. 

Created by M+C Saatchi Group UK and Ocean Outdoor, working with the DCMS and The Together Coalition, the centrepiece of the campaign is a domination of Piccadilly Lights screens on 8^th May, marking the 80^th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

The location is particularly poignant because Piccadilly Circus was one of the gathering points after Churchill announced the Allied victory in Europe at 3pm on 8^th May 1945, with a crowd of 50,000 congregating in the surrounding streets to celebrate. In a tribute to veterans and the wartime generation, at that exact time (3pm) on 8^th May 2025, Piccadilly Lights will be taken over by a ten minute long film. 

The film, which was produced by M+C Saatchi Group UK, takes audiences back to 1945, allowing them to experience the VE Day celebrations as if they were happening today.

Interwoven with archive footage donated by the Imperial War Museum, the film depicts a young soldier from the Second World War in modern-day Piccadilly, amazed at the world around him.

As the celebrations build to a crescendo, the soldier looks across and stops in his tracks. He sees a 100-year-old veteran, perhaps his older self, facing him in Piccadilly Circus. The two acknowledge one another with a salute. The film ends with the line: “We’re here because they were there. The Spirit Lives On”.

The young soldier is played by Harri J Douglas, and the veteran is Mervyn Kersh, aged 100. Kersh is a British Army soldier who participated in the Normandy landings and later witnessed the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The film is directed by Matt Timmiss and the screen space was donated by Landsec.

To build awareness in the run-up to VE Day, static posters across 39 roadside and city formats in 13 cities, have been encouraging communities and neighbourhoods to join the Great British Food Festival on 5^th May with street parties, barbecues and community get togethers of their own.

Also developed by M+C Saatchi Group UK, the artwork draws on vintage 1940s posters, incorporating a modern day QR code with the unifying message: ‘Let’s Celebrate Together’.

On 6^th May, the BFI IMAX, Piccadilly Lights, Battersea Power Station and other Ocean screens join prominent historic landmarks across the land lighting up in red, white and blue as night descends. The moment will be led by the Tower of London just after 9pm. OOH artwork was created by Ocean and the DCMS.

Lisa Nandy, Culture Secretary, said: "80 years ago Piccadilly Circus hosted thousands celebrating the end of the Second World War. I'm pleased that, as part of our commemorations this year, we can recreate this moment on the big screen and ensure the stories of that greatest generation are passed on to the young people of today."

Nick Yarker, Client Lead at M+C Saatchi Group UK, said: “Recreating VE Day in Piccadilly Circus for the 80th anniversary is – literally - a once in a lifetime opportunity. So many people have donated their time and talent to create this moment, which brings past and present face-to-face, celebrates our veterans and reminds us all that their spirit lives on. We’re proud to have created work that resonates with audiences young and old, making an important historical event feel relevant and powerful today.”

The campaign comes as VE Day celebrations dominate the news cycle. On Bank Holiday Monday, The King and Queen, together with Members of the Royal Family and the Prime Minister, joined Second World War veterans to watch a military procession down The Mall to the Palace. Their Majesties and other members of the Royal Family appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as George VI had done with his family 80 years previously. 

The campaign helps bring the story behind these celebrations to the people of London. Nick Shaw, Chief Commercial Officer at Ocean Outdoor, explained: “M+C Saatchi’s film puts Piccadilly Circus firmly at the centre of our Victory in Europe commemorations, bringing today’s audiences face to face with the past. Working with our partners, we are pleased to be able to take VE Day out onto the streets to salute the bravery of the wartime generation and share in a national moment of peace.”

Jon Knight, Chief Executive Officer of the Together Coalition, added: "This important tribute demonstrates the power of storytelling. It will connect us to those extraordinary people who did not know us, yet who fought for us, and in doing so connect us to each other - our shared freedom and peace born out of their sacrifice. It is a privilege for The Together Coalition to be a part of this, and I cannot thank the partners enough for helping make it happen."