Tesco Mobile recently released the second film of the It Pays to be Connected campaign with BBH, Parent Posse.
In the second film of three, Mum Flora describes what it’s like to be on a group chat with other parents, which she joined 8 years ago when all of their kids were born. Thanks to the amazing but very keen dad, Eddie, who is with Tesco Mobile, Flora's still receiving updates on his son Max – all these years later.
Despite moving “off grid,” it’s clear to Flora that Tesco Mobile’s excellent coverage has allowed Eddie to stay connected, prompting her to sign up herself. Once again, we’re in the middle of a very relatable group chat, staying a little too connected.
We spoke to the team at BBH to learn more about the campaign.
Wat was the brief?
Strategy Director (Dean Matthewson) and Senior Strategist (Laura Casado Cisa):
Client brief: Grow Tesco Mobile’s telco credibility and difference to stand out in the market.
Creative brief: Write the next chapter of Tesco Mobile’s helpfulness by showing the advantages of being connected to the Tesco Mobile community.
What was the production process like?
Agency producer (Victoria Doran):
As always, any production has its roller-coaster moments. Specifically for this project, producing three films in a tight time frame however the collaboration between BBH, Tesco Mobile, Blink, Marsheen and ETC made the experience smooth and enjoyable for all.
What kit/tools/software were used to create the project?
Agency producer (Victoria Doran):
It was all shot on the Arri Alexa 35 with H Series Vista lenses and ETC used Flame, Nuke and AFX.
What’s the main message of this project and why does it matter?
Strategy Director (Dean Matthewson) and Senior Strategist (Laura Casado Cisa):
The main message of this campaign is that ‘It pays to be connected’ to the Tesco Mobile community.
Tesco Mobile has an army of Phone Shops and colleagues placed right at the heart of customers’ everyday lives, meaning the brand’s helpfulness is found in the way it in serves communities.
Tesco Mobile helps you stay connected:
- To your everyday community
- To a community of caring Tesco Mobile colleagues who offer high-quality service and great value.
- To the wider Tesco community advantages
How long did it take from inception to delivery?
Presentation of script: January
Delivery: April
Can you describe the creative spark or inspiration behind the initial concept? Was there a specific moment or insight that ignited the idea?
Agency Creative Directors (Genevieve Gransden, Selma Ahmed) and Creatives (Simran Sidhu, Katy David):
A few rounds into the creative process, we took a moment to reflect on where we’d been so far. Having spent weeks writing about the positive benefits of staying connected with your friends and family, we felt we were missing something. And it was only then that we realised that to be authentic and truly reflective of how we all use our phones – we needed to admit the truth… sometimes staying “connected” can be a bit much!
So, without thinking too much about it, we wrote a punchy script about oversharers, realising that it was the concept of the group chat that was giving us great anecdotes. No matter what the topic was, we just couldn’t get enough. It felt true and gave us a chance to celebrate the humour and nuances of how we communicate with our communities. After a large amount of ranting and refining, we knew we had something special.
How did you ensure that the concept aligned with the brand’s values, goals, and target audience?
Strategy Director (Dean Matthewson), Senior Strategist (Laura Casado Cisa), Creative Directors (Selma Ahmed and Genevieve Gransden):
With colleagues at the heart of customers’ everyday experience of the brand, we knew they would have an important role to play in the concept.
Furthermore, Tesco Mobile’s target audience is families, so the stories we wanted to tell needed to feel relatable and relevant to families all over the country.
We were also really intentional about reflecting community in the most authentic way, through insights that we baked into the scripts and also production, through casting both on and off-screen.
Were there any alternative concepts or ideas considered during the ideation phase? If so, what led to the selection of the final concept?
Creative Directors (Selma Ahmed and Genevieve Gransden):
We explored lots of different ideas and ways of bringing a connected community to life – but ultimately we were drawn to the idea that made us all immediately start talking over each other swapping our own stories of group chats we love to hate (but hate to love!). Guess that’s when you know it’s a winner.
Can you discuss any collaborative or interdisciplinary aspects of the ideation process, such as working with other departments or external partners?
Agency producer (Victoria Doran):
As we were working on three films at the same time, we had to stagger each part of the production process e.g. working on the offline edit whilst moving into online on another film. This involved a lot of dividing and conquering of teams and a lot of flexibility from Tesco Mobile and BBH, as well as external partners such as ETC Marsheen and Factory.
What role did consumer research or market analysis play in shaping the concept and its execution?
Strategy Director (Dean Matthewson) and Senior Strategist (Laura Casado Cisa):
Customer research: We used qualitative research to test WIP scripts in order to gather learnings that would help develop the scripts further, rather than testing finished scripts. The research helped us to understand if customers found the insights included in our scripts relatable and funny as well indicating which ‘community’ categories resonated most strongly e.g. family/friend communities v local communities etc.
Market analysis formed a key part of our strategic development. Tesco Mobile has long had a leading reputation for helpfulness in the telco category, but with the ongoing impact of the cost of living crisis, competitors have begun to be noisier about their helpful propositions. The strategic and creative evolution aims to further grow our helpful positioning by growing our telco credibility and Tesco difference.
How did you ensure that the concept remained innovative and stood out in a crowded marketplace?
Strategy Director (Dean Matthewson) and Senior Strategist (Laura Casado Cisa):
The one thing we felt Tesco Mobile has over most brands in the UK is its understanding of British people. Tesco Mobile, unlike most other telcos, is embedded within its customers’ communities. Tesco Mobile’s colleagues, in more than 500 Phone Shops across the UK, are positioned within Tesco stores meaning they are more involved in their customers’ everyday lives and are closer to the pulse of the nation.
Therefore, the concept of these ads is rooted in relatable and idiosyncratic insights that only a telco like Tesco Mobile could use due to its understanding of their customers, the British , and more specifically British families.
What do you hope it achieves for the brand?
Strategy Director (Dean Matthewson) and Senior Strategist (Laura Casado Cisa):
Our overall objective is to make more Tesco shoppers consider Tesco Mobile whilst growing difference & credibility perceptions as a helpful network. And of course we hope the work really resonates with British families, who not only enjoy viewing the campaign but also feel that Tesco Mobile is a brand that ‘gets’ them.
Creative Directors (Selma Ahmed and Genevieve Gransden):
This work is just the start of a new era for Tesco Mobile. We hope it takes what is already an iconic British brand and elevates it into being a brand that people really know and love. A brand that people remember, a brand that stands for something, makes people smile, laugh and feel connected to – living up to the promise of “It Pays to be Connected”
Credit list for the work?
Campaign title: It Pays to be Connected
Advertising agency: BBH London
CCO: Alex Grieve
Executive creative director: Helen Rhodes
Creative Directors: Genevieve Gransden, Selma Ahmed
Copywriter: Katy David
Art director: Simran Sidhu
Designer: Anthony Jones
Strategy Director: Dean Matthewson
Senior Strategist: Laura Casado Cisa
Business lead: Sian Richards
Senior Account director: Keren Jones
Account manager: Madeleine McCarthy
Account Executive: Joe Clark
Agency film producer: Victoria Doran
Agency assistant film producer: Rebecca Ellis
Agency print producer: Cydney Chadwick
Media planner: Nicola Evans, Fateha Arasaratnam
Media agency: EMC
Production company: Blink
Director: Fred Rowson
DOP: Charlotte Bruus
Executive Producer: Paul Weston
Producer: Corin Taylor
Editor/s: Ben Crook at Marsheen
Post-production company: ETC
Senior Producer: Oscar Wendt
Production Coordinator: George Mitchinson
VFX lead: Christian Block
MGFX: Ollie Dook
Grade: ETC
Colourist: Jason Wallis
Sound studio: Factory Sound Studios
Sound engineer: Jack Hallett
Photographer: Sam Wright
Tesco Mobile
Rachel Swift – Chief Customer Officer
Emma Herridge – Head of Brand and Communications
Zea Westwick – Campaign and Comms Planning Lead
Holly Garrett – Campaign Manager
Carolina Molina – Campaign Executive
