The campaign - which included TV ads featuring the newsreader popping up around the UK and asking the public: "Are you in?" - is understood to have been backed by a media budget in excess of £10m.
Media sources said the campaign had been scheduled to launch within days when Sunak pre-empted it by announcing an early summer election outside No 10 on 22 May.
While much of the eight-figure budget set aside for it by the government will not have been used, some will have been spent on coming up with the advert and on filming.
This story is from the June 29, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the June 29, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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