Piccadilly Circus Is Taken Back in Time to 1945 to Mark Victory in Europe Day

Large format out of home (OOH) screens across the UK join Britain’s VE (Victory in Europe) Day commemorations this week (5th May - 8th May) as the nation enters four days of shared celebration.

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

Piccadilly Circus was one of the gathering points after Churchill announced the Allied victory in Europe at 3pm on 8th 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 8th May 2025, Piccadilly Lights will be taken over, as if the events of 1945 were happening again, right in front of us.

In a film produced by M+C Saatchi Group UK, the audience is taken 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, it 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, a British Army soldier who participated in the Normandy landings, later witnessing the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The director is Matt Timmiss.

The screen space was given by Landsec and the film will play out for 10 minutes.

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 5th May with street parties, barbeques 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 6th 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.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy 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, 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.”

Nick Shaw, chief commercial officer, Ocean Outdoor, said, “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, said, "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."