Your M&S

Marks and Spencer’s first major stand-alone womenswear campaign for Print, In-Store, POS, and TV in five years. Using celebrity models, the adverts broke new ground and would prove to be critical in reshaping consumer opinion of this classic British institution. The resulting surge in sales of womenswear, considered by the company to be the "fulcrum upon which the fate of the overall brand turns" impacted the company’s fortunes for years to come.

The Brief

To reshape this trusted yet modern British brand, reinstating its womenswear range to be perceived as a first-choice fashion destination. Bringing a much more ‘editorial’ feel with high-fashion visuals to the campaign.

The Result

As a fashion stylist initially, the job grew into a comprehensive consultancy role that touched all aspects of the brand. Working directly with the advertising agency and Steve Sharp, marketing director, the role was driven by Jo’s innate understanding of this much-loved British brand, and where it sat in the marketplace – its responsibility as a leading retailer for dressing ‘middle England’. Firstly, Jo presented the women heading the campaign as celebrities rather than models, bringing a fresh perspective to the floor. Working directly with Barbara Horspool, head of womenswear design, Jo defined the M&S silhouette and fit that suited each celebrity model, ensuring that every item selected for the advertisements had the commercial support and buy quantities to support the campaign. From storyboarding with the director to ensuring key-framing on the clothing items highlighted the optimum shapes to be caught on film to ensuring that each model represented the different facets of the brand, Jo was the only creative working across all the TV, Print, In-Store, and POS campaigns delivering continuity of brand message.

The campaign was a massive success; a blouse worn by Twiggy sold more in a week than any other product in the history of M&S. Over the autumn period of the TV ads, an estimated 1.4 million additional people shopped for clothes at M&S, resulting in an incremental sales increase of £28m, and additional profit of £14.9m. The campaign was defined by these four stars; Twiggy', Laura Bailey, Noemie Lenoir and Erin O'Connor.

The Client Response

The overall result of the Your M&S campaign saw an estimated additional 18m customer visits over the course of that year, and the success of Twiggy and Co in capturing the public's attention fuelled positive press coverage estimated as worth over £6m. M&S's year-end results announced a sharp rise in full-year profits, from £505.5m to £745.7m. Jo continued to work with Horspool and the Press team on their inaugural catwalk show. Jo directed and styled the outfits, chose the music, models, and glam team to coincide with the S/S 2006 collection. Following the show, the share price rose by 10p overnight.

Barbara Horspool Head of womenswear M&S