New Look to spend £3m on brand-building campaign

By by Julia Pearlman, brandrepublic.com, Friday, 27 May 2005 08:30AM

LONDON – New Look is to launch a £3m television advertising and marketing campaign as the high-street fashion retailer attempts to translate its high awareness into a strong brand.

The £3m campaign has been created by communications agency Naked and design and advertising agency Odd to go live in September, with ads focused on "topicality and flexible media".

The campaign reflects the retail outlet's claim that it can get its clothes on to the high street within six weeks of trade buying. This is included in the ads, which will be developed just two to three weeks before the latest fashions hit the stores so the creative is able to reflect any social trends.

Nine months ago New Look, the UK's third largest womenswear retailer, carried out a strategic review with Circus to work on the company's recruitment, customer service, store environment, buying and marketing strategy.

Hash Ladha, marketing director for New Look, said: "We were surprised about the high awareness of the store but there was a difficulty in the consumer explaining it."

The camaign, which launches in September, is targeting consumers with "The New Now", its first multimedia national brand campaign which aims to satisfy women's needs for "disposable trends" at an affordable price.

"Fashion is often very serious when really it's about a leisure activity, so why not communicate with the consumer in a fun way. The campaign shows how New Look can focus on social trends as well as fashion," Ladha said. 

The campaign will begin in the summer with: a tour of a travelling funfair to hit music festivals including the V Festival; a fully customised Winnebago; and "The New Now" logo to appear in all stores from September as an instore zone showcasing the latest trends.

The campaign will then roll out with press ads in lifestyle magazines, outdoor posters, radio and TV.

Nick Stickland, founding partner at Odd, said: "New Look has provided Odd with the perfect opportunity for creative thinking. The broad spectrum of work we've created will work brilliantly at a retail level, not just above the line."

Splendid Communications has been appointed to lead the PR strategy, DM specialist Baber Smith to create the CRM programme and John Ayling Associates responsible for media buying.

Three digital agencies are currently involved in a pitch to be appointed to work on the online campaign.

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This article was first published on brandrepublic.com