Real People Casting for TV Commercials in London
Real people casting for a TV commercial in London puts believable, everyday faces on screen. Allied Artists represents actors and The Diversity Agency, its sister model agency, represents real people and commercial models, so one brief can cover both.
What real people casting means
Real people casting is casting people for how ordinary and believable they look, not for fashion measurements or a polished finish. The cast is meant to look like the audience. It draws on two pools:
- Members of the public, found through street casting, social media call-outs or a brand's own customers.
- Represented real people: everyday faces, bodies and ages signed to a commercial agency, with a booker, known availability and a standard release.
When a brief says "real people, not models", it usually means the second pool. The Diversity Agency has represented real, diverse people in London since 2016, and its guide to real people casting in the UK covers stills and social work in depth. This page is about TV.
Real people or actors?
The question for a TV commercial is what each person has to do on screen.
| If the role needs to | Cast |
|---|---|
| Deliver lines or land a comedy beat | Actors, or experienced commercial models |
| Look like the customer and react naturally | Real people |
| Fill a crowd, a queue or a stand | Real people or supporting artists |
| Repeat precise action across many takes | Performers with set experience |
Many commercials mix the two: an actor carries the script and real people make the world around them believable. For the acting side, see commercial actors in London and how to cast actors for a commercial.
Recent work from our group
These are campaigns booked through The Diversity Agency, with Allied Artists talent among them.
- Tesco Mobile. Aziz Kemal, Joren Brook and Yulande Sukul shot the Clubcard Prices advert in February, a comedy set-up built around an awards-night envelope. See the booking.
- IHG Hotels & Resorts. Six TDA London models appear alongside presenter Amelia Dimoldenberg in the IHG film, booked in August 2026. See the booking.
- Oreo. Five TDA commercial models of mixed ages and looks shot the Oreo advert in March. See the booking.
- Arsenal × Oakley Meta. Steve Currie plays one of the Gunners fans in the film, shot in September. See the booking.
How real people casting works for a TV commercial
- Brief. Describe each person: who they are, what they do in the ad, and the age range and look. Add the shoot date, the location and where the commercial will run.
- Shortlist. The agency puts forward people from its boards who fit each role, with their availability checked.
- Casting. Self-tapes or an in-person session. Our guide to self-tapes shows what talent is asked to send.
- Booking. The agency confirms each person, the fee and the usage, and handles the release and payment.
Write the brief around the person
"A real dad" is not a brief. "A dad in his forties who looks like he does the school run, a bit tired and warm" is the start of one. The more the brief says about who the person is, the closer the shortlist gets on the first pass. Our guide to advert casting in London walks through building a cast list role by role.
Agree the usage before you cast
Usage is where most of the cost and most of the risk sit. Agree the media, the territory and the dates before anyone is cast, because a TV licence across the UK for a year is a different fee from social only for three months. Real people new to sets need this explained in plain English, which is one reason to book through an agency.
Why book real people through an agency
Booking through an agency puts the release, the usage terms, payment and welfare in one place. That matters more with people who are new to sets. It also means one brief can reach actors at Allied Artists and real people and commercial models on The Diversity Agency's commercial board and mature board at the same time. For close-ups of hands or feet, Hands by TDA covers parts work.
To cast a commercial, send us your brief.
Quick answers
What is real people casting?
Casting believable, everyday people for adverts instead of polished models. They can be members of the public found through street casting, or people represented by a commercial agency because they look like real life.
Should a TV commercial use real people or actors?
Use actors when the script has lines or a comedy beat to land. Use real people when the job is to look like the customer. Many commercials use both.
How do I book real people for a TV advert in London?
Send a brief with who each person is, the shoot date and where the advert will run. The agency shortlists, runs the casting and confirms the booking.
What is usage?
The licence for where, where in the world and for how long the advert runs. Agree it before anyone is cast, because it drives most of the fee.