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Argos launched a multi-million pound advertising campaign yesterday, in a bid to signal its shift to become a digital retail leader.
In a move described by Argos as ‘the biggest strategy change in its 40-year-plus history,’ the campaign is encapsulated by the words ‘GET SET GO ARGOS’ and highlights ‘the wide range of brands that shoppers might not expect to find at Argos’ such as Beats, Dyson, Dualit and Habitat.
The first advertisement aired last night (Tuesday October 14) during ITV1’s ‘Long Lost Family’, Channel 4’s ‘Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners’ and Channel 5’s ‘Crimes That Shook Britain’. Additional high profile spots include ITV1’s ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘X Factor’, and Channel 4’s ‘Homeland’. Further ads will follow in the run-up to Christmas.
The TV push is part of Argos’ biggest ever multi-channel execution, spanning out-of-home, digital, social media, print, radio, in-store and vehicles. For the first time, Argos will run brand adverts in cinemas and on national billboards to reach wider customer groups. The new brand identity will extend to Argos’ websites and apps; stores, with updated point-of-sale, redesigned carrier bags and new uniforms (initially be rolled out to 100 stores); and fresh signage for delivery lorries.
Argos marketing director Stephen Vowles commented: “When we said we would transform Argos two years ago – we meant it. The new campaign will be the biggest signal so far of how we are changing for our customers, and of our digital leadership strategy. We want all customers – new and existing – to realise how much Argos is changing and start to think and feel differently about us. The new campaign will punch home, boldly and dramatically, messages about our great products and services. It will reinforce our business transformation programme that is already under way, and tell the nation about the fantastic new Argos we are creating.”
In October 2012, Argos announced a five-year plan to reinvent itself as a digital retail leader: to transform Argos from a catalogue-led business to a digitally-led business. The company noted that its digital concept store has now been rolled out to 40 stores in the UK. All feature Fast Track 60 second collection for online orders, and tables of iPads tablets for shopping instead of the traditional laminated catalogues, pencils and stock checker machines.
Argos offers around 43,000 products through www.argos.co.uk and 734 stores across the UK and Republic of Ireland. In the financial year to February 2014, Argos sales were £4.1 billion and it employed some 29,000 people across the business. Argos is part of Home Retail Group.
