Currys launches first campaign after merging its brands

The spot from AMV brings tech back to basics by emphasising the human nature of its business

By Creative Salon

06 October 2021

Currys PC World, Carphone Warehouse, Team Knowhow and Dixons Carphone have all become one brand and are being celebrated in a new spot by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO.

The campaign, ‘Who needs experts?’, plays on the fact that research from the retailer reveals that 58 per cent of Brits want to speak to a real-life expert before they buy.

It is the first since Currys merged with its counterparts and consists of various found (and created) footage of tech gone awry.

A TV spot seeks to bring to life the brand’s humanity, utilising the fact that as the UK’s largest omnichannel technology retailer, it has a lot of — human — experts under its wing.

Dan Rubel, brand and marketing director at Currys, said: “Technology is such an intrinsic part of our lives now that how you buy it matters more than ever before. Our research shows that prior to handing over their hard-earned cash, people want advice about the tech they buy from a real-life human expert, particularly when it comes to those expensive and more complex pieces of kit. This new campaign announces launches our new brand, Currys, and at the same time, reminds customers one of the most important reasons we are special – our expert colleagues.

"Our real life human experts are able to help tech buyers work out the right tech for them, whether that’s instore or online via our pioneering 24/7 ShopLive video shopping platform. This is unique to Currys and our omnichannel model, and something that the algorithms used by faceless robot retailers simply can’t replicate, because life really is better when you listen to experts.”

Alex Grieve, chief creative officer at AMV, added: “As the film proves it’s time to bring back the experts, because we do NOT got this! If you want something done right, talk to someone who actually knows their stuff. Someone who’s spent thousands of hours understanding how and why technology works, not 10 minutes. Talk to an expert. Talk to Currys.”

The campaign is supported by OOH creative that again majors on expertise. Focusing on specific pieces of tech, these executions declare how Currys real life human experts have the answer to customers’ tech questions.

One of the cheekier executions highlights how the brand’s experts even know “which beard trimmers are best for trimming things that aren’t beards”. The OOH will run over 1,200 sites across the UK, including high profile locations such as Westfield Stratford Bridge, Clapham Colossus and Waterloo Motion, with media handled by Spark Foundry.

Credits:

Client: Currys

Campaign title: “Who needs experts?”

Client name: Dan Rubel, Brand & Marketing Director

Client name: Corin Mills, Head of Brand, Comms & Planning

Client name: Ernest Osafo, Senior Advertising Manager

Client name: Ciaran Conway, Advertising Manager

Creative Agency: AMV BBDO

CCO: Alex Grieve

ECDs: Nadja Lossgott and Nicholas Hulley

Creative Team: Prabs Wignarajah and Jamie Starbuck (AV) / Laurens Grainger and Alicia Cliffe (OOH)

Agency Planning Team: Matt Hardisty and Alice Aldridge