B&Q launches 'light up their Christmas' campaign

B&Q is encouraging people to ‘light up their Christmas’ with a festive marketing campaign that shows people putting up decorations everywhere from their office desk to their dog’s kennel in a campaign it hopes will boost sales following weak growth in its latest quarter.

The TV ad, which premieres during I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here on ITV this evening (28 November), shows locations including a garage, village green and bus stop all getting a festive makeover. Created by ad agency Karmarama, it also offers customers 20 per cent off indoor and outdoor Christmas lights.

Ruth Harrison-Wood, head of advertising at B&Q, says: ”Our new adverts celebrate the tradition of ‘lighting up for Christmas’, a tradition that everyone can get involved in, whoever and wherever they are. There really is no better way of getting into the spirit of Christmas than creating some magic with festive lighting and sharing it with your family and friends.”

The launch comes as B&Q announced its third quarter results, with like-for-like sales in the UK and Ireland up 0.4 per cent to £915m. Sales of outdoor seasonal products were down 8 per cent following a milder than usual autumn, while indoor products rose 3 per cent.

The latter figure suggests the DIY market is starting to pick up as government initiatives such as “Help To Buy” start to have an impact. Conlumino retail analyst George Scott says the market remains “turbulent” for the retailer but investment in new formats, such as its space sharing partnership with Morrisons at Meir Park in Staffordshire, should boost B&Q in the longer term.

“As its core DIY market begins to pick up B&Q outlook is becoming more positive. Investment in stores and development of ranges and services, coupled with increasing coverage from its multichannel offer is starting to create new relevance, especially among more casual DIYers,” he adds.

Parent company Kingfisher reported like-for-like sales of £1.095bn in the UK and Ireland, up 2 per cent and boosted by its Screwfix business, where revenues were up 11.1 per cent.

Source : Marketing Week
www.marketingweek.co.uk/news/bq-lights-up-christmas-with-new-campaign/4008724.article