New Natwest & ITV ads star Alison Hammond as social media and choc factory intern

NatWest and ITV Backing Business are to launch two new mini-documentary films starring Alison Hammond as an intern at a pair of small business start-ups.

The This Morning host, who has so far fronted eight documentaries in the series titled ‘The Intern’, returns to visit two start-ups, to hear how they have navigated the challenges of starting and running a business and how NatWest has supported them on their journey. 

The first of the two mini-documentaries airs this Saturday night, during the season launch of The Voice, with the second airing later in September.

Airing this weekend is Lucocoa, a start-up chocolate making company in London who produce bean to bar chocolate on site. They source beans from around the world, from farmers they know, with the intent of making the chocolate making process ethical and fair. 

The second film is titled Nonsensical, a social media agency based in Bristol and Birmingham, where cameras follow staff as they create a social media campaign for their client 'Endless Pride', who are focused on supporting and helping the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Cameras follow as Alison learns the ropes of each start-up, finding out what makes the firm and its founders tick, discovering elements of NatWest’s role and support in their success. And of course, Alison sprinkles her stardust along the way. 

With the current challenges in the economy, NatWest and ITV wanted to continue helping to support start-ups and SMEs across the UK. The UK has more than 5.7 million SMEs (small and medium enterprises), which together generate almost half of the country’s business revenue. 

ITV has ring-fenced funding to match fund campaigns from new or lapsed TV brands, giving them opportunity to try TV advertising and help grow their businesses. NatWest is also offering support through their Business Builder and Access to Expertise programmes, which offer guidance on starting a business, mentoring, coaching as well as wider support and funding to help SMEs unlock their potential. 

The campaign will be supported with radio, social and digital creative. Media has been planned and booked with Initiative and the supporting creative for social and digital made by Vayner Media.

The films were shot by Caswell Coggins, and produced by Pablo’s in-house production company Pablito.
 
Margaret Jobling, NatWest Group Chief Marketing Officer, said: “We’re excited to be bringing back The Intern and working alongside ITV to continue our support for businesses of all shapes and sizes across the UK. As the UK’s biggest business bank, we know how much work goes into creating, maintaining and growing a business – and we will continue to support entrepreneurs at all stages. From our Dream Bigger programme in schools, Business Builder for early-stage entrepreneurs, to our Entrepreneur Accelerator hubs around the country for high growth, green and diverse businesses, we want to help more businesses start, scale and succeed.”
 
Tim Snape, Executive Creative Director at Pablo has said: “It’s been a pleasure to partner with NatWest and ITV again to tell the stories of Britain’s brilliant start-ups - especially now with the challenges small businesses face, and to hear their incredible stories. It’s great having Alison Hammond back as our Intern, and build those warm relationships with everyone within each business, allowing us to capture the heart and emotion of each business's story.”

Mark Trinder, Director of Commercial Sales and Partnerships, ITV said: "We're really proud to be working with NatWest to help out small and medium-sized businesses during tough economic times. They are so key to the economy - and under-represented on television - that it is a privilege for us to help where we can."

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