What was the first product advertised on Channel 5 in the UK?

The first advert shown on Channel 5 was for Chanel No. 5 perfume. Channel 5 began broadcasting in the United Kingdom on 30th March 1997, becoming the fifth television in the UK. Between 2002 and 2011, it was renamed "Five", but reverted back to "Channel 5" thereafter. The channel launched at 6 pm on Easter day with a selection of shows and music, such as the Spice Girls, which were interspersed with advertisements.

Chanel No. 5 was the first perfume launched by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel in 1921. During the 1990s, more money was reportedly spent advertising Chanel No. 5 than any other fragrance. At that time, the French model and actress, Carole Bouquet, was the face of Chanel No. 5.

The perfume was likely chosen as the first advert for Channel 5 because of its number. Between 6 pm and 6:30 pm, the channel broadcast a half hour of previews, which featured many references to the number five. As well as the advert for Chanel No. 5, the Spice Girls referenced the number by singing Manfred Mann's hit '5-4-3-2-1', but with the numbers in the opposite order: '1-2-3-4-5'. Around 2,490,000 people tuned in to watch the launch of the new channel, 3,000 of whom were still watching at 5:30 am the following morning.