Baked goods brand Hovis has unveiled its first new TV campaign in six years, celebrating the brand’s heritage.

Devised by its creative agency of record, VCCP,  ‘Strength Baked In’ is the first campaign from the agency since it won the account in 2024.

A 40-second hero spot, directed by Zak Razvi , highlights how signs of the brand’s history are still visible in communities today and tells their stories. The film is soundtracked by Remember My Name by Sam Fender featuring the Easington Colliery Band.

It was produced by VCCP’s global content creation studio Girl&Bear.

Mark Brown, CMO at Hovis said: “‘Strength Baked In’ is a recommitment to the values Hovis has always stood for – strength in community, authenticity, and resilience. And that commitment sparked a genuine transformation across the business – bringing fresh energy not just to creative strategy, but to product development, innovation, and internal culture.”

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Hovis was founded in Macclesfield in 1886 by Richard ‘Stoney’ Smith. The name, taken from the Latin phrase Hominis Vis, Strength of Man, was chosen following a national competition.

As part of the marketing drive, VCCP, on behalf of Hovis, commissioned a piece of original research from VICE journalist Clive Martin exploring ‘strength in modern Britain”. The research is centred around the city of Nottingham, which is home to one of Hovis’s largest bakeries.

The campaign will run across TV, social media, digital and in-store channels.

Emma Houlston and Colin McKean, Creative Directors at VCCP, added: “Handpainted Hovis signs have adorned brick walls across the nation for over 100 years. We wanted to celebrate these beautiful symbols of endurance and the resilience of the people who pass by them every day. Those wise, weathered Hovis signs have seen it all, reminding us we all carry strength, even in the toughest times.”