As a flagship BBC One soap opera, its first episode broadcast in 1985, EastEnders and its iconic characters and storylines have become part of the British national identity. For this campaign to promote the soap, BBC Creative aimed to show how the gobby, family-centric, fiercely loyal, funny residents of the fictitious Albert Square are not unique to 20 but are instead a reflection of communities up and down the country – from Batley to Woodthorpe and Dalston to Cardiff.

Photographer Siân Davey was commissioned to capture the shared spirit between the EastEnders characters and the real people of the UK. While traditional photography for EastEnders is very dramatic and posed, the cast were shot in the same manner as the regular communities featured in the campaign, shown going on a night out, buying fruit and veg at a street market, gossiping in a café, or having a barbecue in a park.

Agency: BBC Creative
Retoucher/Photography assistant: Artur Tixiliski
Photography assistants: Kendal Noctor, Noemie Reijnen, Caitlin Chescoe
Creative director: Susan Ayton
Creatives:Peigh Asante, Jules Middleton
Strategy director: Rosanagh Ker
Project manager: Astrid Reiner
Producer: Elly Hopwood
Pictures producer: Amy Sharp
Production manager: Jake Cullen
Production assistant: Caitlin Setterfield
Lead designer: Johnny Ace
Designers: Gavin Andrews, Mirjami Qin
Head of marketing, BBC One: Chris Hooper
Marketing manager: Rhion Leadbitter
Marketing executive: Jahmel Coleman
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