CDP has unveiled its first work for Business Link, the
government-backed business advice centres, since it won the account in a
Central Office of Information pitch last month.
A national press campaign breaks next Tuesday, designed to raise
awareness of the UK’s 240 Business Link centres. It aims to do this by
empathising with the problems commonly experienced by business people
struggling to expand small to medium-sized companies.
Three executions start off the campaign, which will be supported by a
pounds 1.5 million spend until the end of this financial year.
Each ad features a selection of problems, such as how to maximise
profits, train and motivate staff and how to find the right balance
between work and home life. These are expressed in words that are linked
by a series of arrows to reach the solution: visit Business Link.
In one execution, the problems are arranged in the shape of a question
mark; another depicts them as pieces of paper around an office in-tray,
while a third shows them as thought bubbles.
CDP planned the media on the campaign, although media buying was handled
by MediaVest. The ads were devised by two creative teams: the art
director, Frank Houston, and the copywriter, Jon Tompkin; and the art
director, John Daniel, with his copywriter, Simon Impey.
Business Link was the brainchild of the former Deputy Prime Minister,
Michael Heseltine. The centres provide across-the-board business advice,
and a single point of access offering support from both public and
private sources.
CDP won the account following a four-way pitch against the incumbent,
Grey Integrated, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO and Young & Rubicam.
Business Link is also embarking upon a drive to standardise its service
across the country, following criticism that the different schemes
across the UK lacked coherent policy guidelines.
