Currys Launches First Campaign After Merging Its Four Brands

New campaign puts the company’s human expertise in tech against unassisted selling platforms.

• Currys PC World, Carphone Warehouse, Team Knowhow and Dixons Carphone become one brand
• The UK’s largest omnichannel technology retailer, unveils its first ad campaign to mark rebrand
• New campaign celebrates Currys as the home of real-life tech expertise as research reveals that more than half (58%) of Brits want to speak to a real-life expert before they buy
• Currys marks rebrand with launch of its first customer loyalty scheme, giving customers access to exclusive discounts, benefits and promotions

Currys, the UK’s largest electrical retailer, unveils a major new campaign today as it marks a new omnichannel chapter in its 137-year history, relaunching its UK stores and online services by merging its four brands Currys PC World, Dixons Carphone, Carphone Warehouse, Team Knowhow to become one superbrand, Currys.

Created by AMV BBDO, the new integrated campaign celebrates Currys as the home of tech expertise, reminding customers of its key USP – real-life people with genuine tech knowhow.

The new campaign brings to life the brand’s humanity utilising humour and real-life experiences to highlight the pitfalls of buying tech without expertise, via faceless of ‘robot retail’ platforms. 

According to research from Currys, unassisted selling, with its mix of fake reviews, overwhelming choice and hours wasted researching purchases, is letting tech buyers down. With further data from the retailer revealing 58% of people shopping for expensive and unfamiliar tech products would like to speak to a real-life human expert before they buy, whether that be instore or online. The campaign, which combines a mix of ATL and OOH drives this proposition home, showcasing how life really is better when you listen to experts.

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Dan Rubel, Brand and Marketing Director at Currys, says: “Technology is such an intrinsic part of our lives now that how you buy it matters more than ever before. Our research shows that prior to handing over their hard-earned cash, people want advice about the tech they buy from a real-life human expert, particularly when it comes to those expensive and more complex pieces of kit. This new campaign announces launches our new brand, Currys, and at the same time, reminds customers one of the most important reasons we are special – our expert colleagues. Our real life human experts are able to help tech buyers work out the right tech for them, whether that’s instore or online via our pioneering 24/7 ShopLive video shopping platform. This is unique to Currys and our omnichannel model, and something that the algorithms used by faceless robot retailers simply can’t replicate, beause life really is better when you listen to experts.”

Alex Grieve, CCO at AMV BBDO, says “As the film proves it’s time to bring back the experts, because we do NOT got this! If you want something done right, talk to someone who actually knows their stuff. Someone who’s spent thousands of hours understanding how and why technology works, not 10 minutes. Talk to an expert. Talk to Currys.”

The TV creative brings to life Currys’ core belief that life is better with expertise, showing that there are many times when an expert is needed, and that buying tech is no different. Using a mixture of found and captured footage, the creative work shows examples of the jeopardy that can arise and how customers can find the advice they need at Currys. It showcases real colleagues you can find both in-store and on ShopLive; whether that’s James, Rameez, NJ or any one of their 13,500 other tech experts. 

The campaign is further supported by OOH creative that again majors on expertise, drilling down on specific pieces of tech, these executions declare how Currys real life human experts have the answer to customers’ tech questions. One of the cheekier executions highlights how the brand’s experts even know “which beard trimmers are best for trimming things that aren’t beards”. The OOH will run over 1,200 sites across the UK, including high profile locations such as Westfield Stratford Bridge, Clapham Colossus and Waterloo Motion, with media handled by Spark Foundry.

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In addition to the roll out of the new Currys superbrand, the retailer is also launching its first customer loyalty scheme today. Created to support customer retention, engagement and connection and drive longer, more meaningful relationships with tech lovers for life, the scheme has been developed for customers by customers. There is no purchase necessary to join the scheme, anyone can sign up at any one of the 314 Currys stores across the UK & Ireland or online at www.currys.co.uk/perks and the scheme’s three main benefits are:

• Member discounts: Relevant and interesting offers and deals, exclusive to members   
• Monthly surprises: From new tech giveaways to a ‘win your basket’ and much more 
• Partner benefits: additional perks from some of the biggest brands – starting with free three-month Apple TV subscription

Films of 20, 30 and 60 seconds will run on TV, VOD, and social media and feature new voice over artist, Hayden McLean. The films, created by Prabs Wignarajah and Jamie Starbuck, were directed by Jack Clough, at Hunky Dory, known for the series and film People Just Do Nothing. The soundtrack is ‘Waltz in Black”, by The Stranglers.

CREDITS:

Client: Currys

Campaign title: “Who needs experts?”

Client name: Dan Rubel, Brand & Marketing Director

Client name: Corin Mills, Head of Brand, Comms & Planning

Client name: Ernest Osafo, Senior Advertising Manager

Client name: Ciaran Conway, Advertising Manager

Creative Agency: AMV BBDO

CCO: Alex Grieve

ECDs: Nadja Lossgott and Nicholas Hulley

Creative Team: Prabs Wignarajah and Jamie Starbuck (AV) / Laurens Grainger and Alicia Cliffe (OOH)

Agency Planning Team: Matt Hardisty and Alice Aldridge 

Agency Account Team: Alex Bird, Alex Smith and Josh Barnes

Agency Producer/Creative Production Partner: James Robley

Business Affairs: Cate Killeen

Project Management: Paul Glucklich and Martin McGinn

Production Company:     Hunky Dory

Director: Jack Clough

Production Co. Producer: Nick Papworth

DOP: Arran Green

Edit: Al Sinclair

Post-production Company: ETC

Sound studio: Wave Studios

Audio Post-production Engineer: Parv Thind

Media Agency: Spark Foundry

Source: AMV BBDO

  Alex Grieve, AMV BBDO, Currys, Dan Rubel