British Gas Continues To Make Houses, Homes

British Gas, the UK's leading energy and home services provider, today announces the launch of a new brand platform, “Taking care of things,"  reinforcing its commitment to keeping British homes warm and working. The campaign highlights how British Gas is there to give customers total peace of mind. Letting them get on with the important things that make a house a home, knowing that British Gas is there to take care of the rest. 

At the heart of the campaign is the introduction of long-term brand  characters, ‘the Things'. A lovable, very fluffy family who embody the feeling  of being a British Gas customer - cosy and utterly relaxed. The Things don't  sweat the small stuff because they know British Gas will be there whenever they need them.  

The campaign launches with a heartwarming 60-second film, directed by  acclaimed duo Si & Ad at Academy Films, with animation masterfully crafted by ETC. The film intimately portrays the Thing family navigating one of life's most exciting, yet stressful moments: moving home. But the Things, with the  help of British Gas, take it all in their stride. Well, besides when it comes to  making that all important first cuppa... The film wraps up British Gas’ important  role in supporting customers with the line ‘You make it a home, we keep it warm  and working. British Gas – Taking care of things’

The launch ad will air during Gogglebox this evening, marking the start of an  innovative and multi-faceted media plan with media planning and buying  devised by OMD UK. The integrated campaign extends on television  capitalising on British Gas’ existing Challen 4 Homes partnership. Beyond this  there are a series of high-impact OOH sites, unmissable print and radio  partnerships, engaging cinema and ad-free BVOD experiences, digital  activations and social media takeovers. This comprehensive and unmissable  has been designed to introduce The Things to the vast majority of British  households, reassuring them that British Gas is dedicated to taking care of  their needs and providing unparalleled peace of mind. 

“At British Gas, we understand the importance of a warm and working home,"  says Andy Freeman, Group Brand & Marketing Officer at British Gas. “Our new ‘Taking care of things' platform, brought to life by 'The Things,' perfectly  captures our commitment to providing reliable service and ensuring our  customers can relax and enjoy their homes, knowing we've got them covered." 

“We wanted to create a campaign that truly resonated with people on an  emotional level. The Things represent the warmth, comfort and peace of mind  British Gas provides.” says Matt Moreland and Chris Clarke, Group Creative Directors. “We’re hoping the British public will want to hug them just as much  as we do, which is quite a lot by the way.” 

Credits:

Client: British Gas  

Group Brand and Marketing Officer: Andy Freeman  

Head of Marketing: Sam Taylor  

Head of Brand: Saoirse Kelly  

Head of Media: Alex Neary  

Brand Strategy Lead: Kay Bourton  

Creative Lead: Kerem Sekerci  

Marketing Planning Lead: Andrew Cooper Blake  

Brand Campaign Lead: Abi Jenkins  

Brand Campaign Manager: Lizzy Allen  

Agency: T&Pm  

Agency Lead: Sarah Golding and Victoria Appleby  

Chief Creative Officer: Andre Moreira/Toby Allen  

Group Creative Directors: Matt Moreland and Chris Clarke  

Creative Directors: Adam McGowan and Danny O’Keefe  

Head of Integrated Production: Charles Crisp 

Senior Producer: Alfie Glover Short  

Senior Art Producer: Ellen Green  

Integrated Producer: Ben Miller  

Chief Strategy Officer: Simon Ringshall  

Strategy Director: Matt Linnnett  

Senior Strategist: Shashank Hariharan  

Business Director: Lucy Almond  

Senior Account Director: Alex Addison  

Account Director: Daisy Penny  

Chief Design Officer: Dan Beckett  

Senior Designer: Rich Forder  

Production Company: Academy Films 

Director: Si&Ad 

Executive Producer: Georgina Smith 

Producer: Tom Cartwright 

Production Manager: Antonia Vickers 

Director of Photography: Alex Barber 

Production Designer: Cat Meredydd 

Editing: The Assembly Rooms 

Editor: Adam Spivey @ The Assembly Rooms 

VFX Studio: ETC 

Executive Producer: Vic Lovejoy 

Producer: Sydney Levy 

Production Coordinator: Emily Coyne 

VFX Supervisor: Dean Robinson 

Animation Director: Fabrice Fiteni 

3D Lead: Jack Powell 

2D Lead: Alex Snookes 

Colourist: Jason Wallis 

Audio Post Production: 750mph 

Audio Producer: Olivia Ray 

Sound Designer: Sam Ashwell 

Media Agency: OMD 

Client Partner: Sarah de Looze 

Executive Business Director: Chris Donnelly  Managing Partner / Joint Head of Strategy: Sabina Usher Strategy Director: Max Fleming-Gale  

Executive Business Director Planning: Lillie Norton Business Director Planning: Fraser Gaterell  Creativity & Innovation Director: Shaazia Shamsi-Guthrie Executive Creative Director: Ben Thomas