Campaign: Quality worth every penny
Client: Marks & Spencer Plan A
WPP company: RKCR/Y&R UK
In 2007, UK retailer Marks & Spencer launched ‘Plan A’, a set of 100 commitments with the ultimate goal to become the world’s most sustainable major retailer.
Two years on, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary with a marketing campaign showing how they have provided ‘quality worth every penny’ since 1884 and highlighting how their commitment to sustainability is undiminished despite the global recession.
RKCR/Y&R created a series of print and television ads which emphasised how environmental, animal welfare and labour standards are integral to the quality of M&S products and the way it does business.
Whereas previous Plan A ads ran separately from M&S’s main food or clothing ads, RKCR/Y&R decided that the time was right to integrate the campaigns. The agency used the same seductive close-ups of food and beautiful clothing that feature in broader M&S campaigns but added messaging and specific examples about how the company is dedicated to ‘Doing the Right Thing’.
The campaign was received very positively by shoppers who responded well to the message encouraging them not to compromise on quality even when times are tough.
