Aldi, Asda, BT: 5 things that mattered this week and why
From Aldi’s renewed focus on quality to the return of Turkey Twizzlers, catch up on all the biggest marketing news from the week gone by.
BT kicks off the new football season with ‘Unlimited Subs’
Football’s back (like it ever went away), with a new season almost upon us and, from BT, a new format for sports fans (and indeed those who aren’t) to watch channels and streaming platforms in one place.
BT is aiming to be a “super aggregator”, in the words of brand and performance marketing director Dave Stratton. It wants to position itself as a trusted platform for consumers who want to watch the latest binge-fests from partners like Amazon, Netflix and Now TV, and hopefully BritBox and Disney+ in future.
But back to the football. The ‘Unlimited Subs’ ad is a showcase for BT TV’s live coverage, which allows users to switch between BT Sport, Sky Sports (via Now TV) and Amazon Prime. A witty, slickly produced and energetic minute-long slot, it takes the great hot potato from football’s Project Restart, the idea of teams using as many subs as they like, and uses it as a tag for this shift in the way we consume and enjoy content.
It’s a great piece of advertising, one that manages to get even the most sports-weary of us excited about the coming season, but also one that shows that BT is ready for a whole new ball game.
READ MORE: BT on its mission to ‘advertise sport differently’
Aldi signs up as new Bake Off sponsor
Judging by some comments from the former marketing director of Aldi UK on LinkedIn, this is a sponsorship the supermarket has been going after for some time. It’s also one that makes sense, putting it in front of a family audience and aligning it with quality content.
The pandemic and lockdown has not been kind to the discounters. Their lack of an online offering has not helped, nor has the shift back to a weekly big shop for many. Their smaller stores are also not conducive to social distancing, meaning some have stayed away.
But as shoppers become more comfortable in stores, Aldi needs to remind people of its value and quality. No better way to do that on TV in one of the few big sponsorship slots left.
Good news for Channel 4, too, which finally has a high profile brands that makes sense for its biggest commercial property. Amazon’s Alexa sponsorship was slightly out of kilter (although the idents were nice) and it only managed to get two smaller brands on board to start with.
Sure this will provide a boost for both Channel 4 and Aldi.
READ MORE: Aldi puts focus on quality with Great British Bake Off sponsorship
Turkey Twizzler returns after 15-year hiatus
The Turkey Twizzler is back, but not in the school lunchroom. The curly meat is returning after a 15-year hiatus with a new, “healthier” product.
For owner Bernard Matthews this is not just about one product, it wants to increase its awareness. The return of the Twizzler is part of company-wide research to look at how to improve the master brand in consumers’ eyes.
Despite the joy at its return from many (more than 30,000 signed a petition demanding their return) Twizzlers are entering into a different world than the one they left. Consumers are more health conscious than before and veganism is a growing trend.
In an attempt to shake off its unhealthy credentials, it has worked on the recipe and is including traffic light signs on front of pack. It is also changing where the product is sold – notably not schools – and worked with retailers to see if the launch will work.
READ MORE: How Bernard Matthews brought back the Turkey Twizzler
Asda revives the ‘pocket tap’
It may not feel like it, but it has apparently been almost 15 years since the infamous Asda ‘pocket tap’ and jingle featured in a TV ad. But now it is back with a reworked jingle to remind us all about the value of Asda products.
Asda could with this campaign driving sales. Despite growth, it is not keeping up with the sector and it’s market share is on the slide. Owner Walmart is also trying to offload it (or at least a significant majority investment) following the disastrous attempted merger with Sainsbury’s last year.
With the UK in recession a focus on price and value makes sense. This is Asda’s heartland but an area that has been eroded by the discounters Aldi and Lidl. A £100m investment should go some way to help. As should bringing back those key brand assets.
READ MORE: Asda brings back the ‘pocket tap’ to promote £100m in price cuts
Dettol need to clean up ad mess
Dettol’s new outdoor ad has gone viral but not for the right reasons. The brand’s ads were spotted on the tube by consumers who mocked the ad for how it portrayed “the little things” we all miss from the office.
It’s been impossible to miss the ad, with many laughing at it being out of touch. The ad highlights “proper bants” and “catching a lift” as some of the things those working from home may have missed. Apparently for women, carrying a handbag is critical to their role???
If you subscribe to the age-old adage that no publicity is bad publicity then this ad has done well. It has got people talking about the brand and its ad. Maybe we’ll all go and buy even more Dettol now.
However, some did argue there were deeper problems with the ad, suggesting that talking about “seeing the receptionist” alongside plastic plants undermined their role. Picking out that women might miss having a handbag seems a little outdated too….
Dettol’s sales have soared during Covid-19, helping parent company Reckitt Benckiser’s revenues rise 11.9% to £6.9bn in the first half of the year.
That being said, it may be worth the brand rethinking it’s marketing next time to be more in touch with consumers.
