The Co-op officially launched its Summer TV campaign this week, and it's a bit of a corker! “Be as unpredictable as the Summer” from Leo Burnett is kicking off with a 40-second commercial, accompanied by four 10 second ads, which together aim to create a contagious spirit of unpredictability that unleashes the potential for experiences to take you anywhere. The main advert shows the escalation of events that lead to a group of friends getting together to spontaneously celebrate the British summertime, having woken up that morning with no idea that they’d end up enjoying a scrumptious feast on the beach.
It's exactly the kind of relatable and dynamic work that we should be seeing at this time of year, when summer is already on everyone's mind.In the campaign, Co-op’s own label food is the facilitator that brings friends and communities together, placing The Co-op at the heart of the British summer, come rain or shine. And with a Co-op in every postcode, the messaging is that Co-op really is just around the corner with the perfect summer food range to allow everyone to make the most of it.
“This new campaign is intended to show that The Co-op, summer and spontaneity are perfect bedfellows, we think it does that beautifully” Paul Lawson, CEO at Leo Burnett
Jemima Bird, Customer Director at Co-op, said: “The Co-op new brand identity is an important move for us, made more significant because of our scale and reach. We are going back to being Co-op with a fresh new look, as we reinvigorate the business to target families and millennials, which will resonate throughout our TV ad campaign. The British summer is a wonderful, if erratic season, and you need to be in the right state of mind to get the most out of it. The new Co-op summer campaign encourages just that - go where the sun is, where the fun is, think outside the box and be as unpredictable as summer. With a convenience store in every postal area and a fantastic range of food and drink, it’s an attitude that Co-op is perfectly placed to support.”
Launching with a high reach, multi-media plan to build reappraisal of Co-op own brand food, the integrated campaign is also being led with strong AV, responsive digital and static OOH. This is the first major work by Leo Burnett for the brand since is beat WCRS to retain the business back in March this year. Leo Burnett beat WCRS in a final shoot-out after a four-way pitch that included MullenLowe London and Ogilvy & Mather London. The agency first won the account in 2012, when the business was reported to be worth £50 million. It fought off competition from Now and CHI & Partners in a process also handled by AAR. The Publicis Groupe agency also handles The Co-operative Bank, while Rocket holds all of The Co-op Group’s media planning and buying work.
The campaign also sees The Co-op’s iconic, blue clover leaf logo make a return to TV after 20 years, but with a new modern twist. The logo will be rolled out across Co-op’s entire business over the next few years, and is much sleeker and softer than its earlier rendition. All of the Co-op brands will be affected including Food, Funeral Care, Legal and Insurance, which will now take the Co-op name and ditch the Co-operative. The rebrand has been two years in the offing and was partly triggered by the new membership offer. Design consultancy North has led the rebrand by creating a modernised version of the 1968 cloverleaf logo, which has been designed as a visual reminder of the company’s roots.
“Returning to the familiar can be a radical act, but it is the timeless quality of this iconic logo that makes such a move possible” North Director, Sean Perkins
The logo has been redrawn from archive material and a new colour scheme has been introduced to enhance the original 1968 Co-op colours, while a new typeface has been introduced to work across all print, digital and in-store touch points. The full roll out is expected to take three-to five years as the Co-op says it wants to be prudent with its members’ money. It will also include signage, shop environments, packaging, uniforms and vehicle livery. Seven food stores have already been rebranded and by the end of the year there 500 will have changed. In store, more than 600 food products will carry the new branding, which, according to Co-op group design director Ben Terrett, aims to reflect the simple, user-focused nature of the brand's services and products.
