M&S

I think its really interesting what Marks and Spencer have done with their advertising. Back in 2004 they under went a massive new advertising campaign and introduced a new strategy, one that would appeal to the public and change people's perceptions on how the brand was perceived. Has their efforts worked?

And just how was M&S seen by the public back in 2004? Words on consumers minds were last resort, frumpy, old, boring and middle aged. Not the attitude you want for a Departmen

t store that is meant to epitomise British fashion with their high quality products. B

y not having a specific USP in the market, M&S seemed like a fading Department store that was more drip than dapper. To make themselves relevant in the market again, they needed to target where they were going to be the most successful, and at this point they focused on womanswear. This was at the heart of the brand's recovery strategy.

"I believe Womanswear is the key to the whole brand" -

Stuart Rose (Executive Chairman at the time)

By introducing a new logo and advertising campaign, M&S hoped it would win back the public's trust. The simple but effective, 'Your M&S' said it all in two words, they needed something that would appeal to the whole nation, something which gave Marks and Spencer back to the public and made them as a brand appeal more approachable, accessible and contemporary. This along with the clever food adverts and one line which I think we all know by now.

"These are not just berries, these are the sweetest naturally ripened summer berries.."

"This is not just a chicken...this is a farm assured naturally fed, extra succulent oakham chicken.."

"This is not just food..this is M&S food.."

I think it really is amazing how one line, 'this is not just..' can become such a cultural reference in society, so many jokes have been created from just their one cleverly wrote (and spoken) line. That was what made M&S appeal to consumers again, they were oozing quality and passion, qualities which shoppers love to see in a brand. They had to make consumers pick them over the hundreds of other brands who might be doing it cheaper, and they proved that quality does win out in the end.

And these flashy, high profile adverts featuring the likes of Danni Minogue, Myleene Klass and supermodel Noemie Lenoir seemed to capture a new audience for the brand, transforming M&S in to something which was modern, young and aspirational.

However, with fear setting in that they were losing their core audience, Marks and Spencer’s loyal customers from years before began to feel alienated by the glitz and glam of the new M&S. And this is when M&S began to change their campaign. By getting rid of their famous faces which started their relaunch, they have produced a new advertising campaign which focuses on the ‘older’ woman. By putting the focus back on the clothes, they have stripped back the celebrity status and tapped in to their real consumer. A woman who stands in the mirror and tries on a million outfits before settling on one, a woman who is 'still turning heads'.

I love the new adverts, they show real woman, woman in their 40's, woman who are actually going out with men their age, I like how M&S are showing the reality, not the Hollywood version where the woman dates a 20 something and are painfully thin. Reality creates a connection between the brand and the consumer, which I think M&S customers are going to love.

“They feature a moment in time when clothes matter more than ever. They tap into the universal truth that woman don’t just wear clothes to cover up or follow a trend. They wear them to feel good, to feel more confident or glamorous. To bring this to life, we decided to use lesser-known faces, so our customers will relate to the scenarios and feel empathy with the characters.’
- Steve Sharp, M&S executive director