B&Q debuts first Rapier ad following Kenrick departure

A series of new ads from DIY and garden retailer, B&Q , will hit screens tonight.

A series of new ads from DIY and garden retailer, B&Q , will hit screens tonight.

The campaign, which cost “several million”, uses 15 B&Q staff – a familiar tactic for the company.

The 60-second ads have been created by the London-based agency, Rapier, as a “one off”.

In January, B&Q called a review of its £45m advertising account. For the time being, JWT remains the retained agency, according to a B&Q spokesperson.

The 60-second TV ad breaks this evening across ITV regions and, for the first time, B&Q advertising will appear on TV in the Republic of Ireland. It will run throughout April and is supported by five 20-second executions and a heavy schedule of national and regional press as well as digital outdoor ads.

In the ads ‘B&Qers’ (B&Q staff), including plumbing, gardening and designers with long trade careers behind them, talk about their knowledge-base, how they can help and their understanding of the challenges facing customers.

The ad finishes with B&Q’s price promise and the campaign strap-line – “It’s all do-able”.

The stars of the ad were chosen from stores all over the country after a casting exercise undertaken by B&Q’s HR team.

Warren Scarr, B&Q marketing director, said the company continued to use real staff in its ad campaigns because customers “trust them”. Scarr, who was previously director of brand advertising, had his role expanded to cover marketing at the beginning of the year following the departure of marketing director Jo Kenrick in December.

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