M&S overhauls marketing with new strategy

Marks & Spencer is dropping its “This is not just…” strapline and adopting a new marketing direction across its food and clothing business.

The new M&S food ads star actress Caroline Quentin and use the strapline “Just because…”

The retailer has also revealed that Sky Sports football commentator Jamie Redknapp is to be the face of its menswear ranges.

The first phase of the marketing campaign, created by Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, breaks with press and outdoor ads today (22 March) followed by TV ads on 24 March for the spring womenswear and lingerie.

The campaign will include a line up of celebrity brand ambassadors including pop-star Dannii Minogue, Capital Radio presenter Lisa Snowdon, soul singer V V Brown and Brazilian supermodel Ana Beatriz Barros alongside Twiggy, the long standing face of the brand.

The ads focus on showing customers how to put outfits together and “make their wardrobe work for them” instead of focussing on seasonal trends, as it has done previously.

Steve Sharp, M&S director of marketing, says: “Our new campaign looks different and feels different. It addresses a number of themes instead of one thing at a time. It looks at concerns the consumers have such as provenance, value, quality and promotions.”

The first food ads to use the new strapline break on 26 March on ITV and will feature a range of Easter foods with Quentin explaining what makes M&S food “special and different”.

In it, she says: “Because salmon tastes even better when you know where it’s from.”

The ad will also run in cinemas and online and will be followed by 20 further seasonally themes M&S food ads this year.

Steve Sharp, M&S director of marketing, says: “We’re chucking everything out except Twiggy! We thought it was time for a spring clean. Our advertising has been brilliant and you don’t make decisions to chuck things away lightly but we wanted to offer something fresh, new, improved.”

He adds that he believes the “This isn’t just food” strapline will continue to live on because it has become part of our vernacular.

The first ads starring Redknapp will break in May with a print campaign, alongside a print campaign for summer menswear starring Dannii Minogue’s boyfriend, Kris Smith.

Redknapp also stars alongside wife Louise Redknapp in holiday operator Thomas Cook’s most recent ad campaign.

Myleene Klass will continue to work with M&S on “a number of other initiatives”.