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Competitive Reposition

Emphasising unique features / qualities to distinguish a brand from competitors.

Market / Audience Reposition

A brand aims to enter new markets or appeal to a broader audience (without alienating existing audience).

Cultural Reposition

Aligning the brand with current cultural, social, or environmental trends.

Image Reposition

Refresh / revamp of the brand image and perception to modernise the brand, stay relevant to today's audiences.

Price Reposition

Moving the brand upmarket by emphasising quality and exclusivity or emphasising affordability and value

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Mixed-media campaign designed to drive brand-fame across key audiences

Starling increases marcomms headcount by 25% in 2023 as brand awareness reaches all-time high

Friday 19 January 2024 - Starling Bank has created a new brand platform, with a new positioning, strategy and ad creative developed to mark the beginning of an ambitious year of growth for the bank.

'The Bank Built for You' platform celebrates how banking is about more than just money, it's about the people behind every transaction, and highlights how Starling's creative money-management tools fit into all aspects of life. The campaign nods to the bank's approach to product development, building the features customers ask for, and creating an experience that puts people first. The campaign is matched by a media-buying strategy that better reflects how real people engage with content.

The TV campaign features three 30-second ad spots, created in partnership with Wonderhood Studios, which each tell a relatable human story that showcases how Starling is 'The Bank Built for You'. The spots were directed by Lucy Forbes, director of 'This is Going to Hurt' and 'The End of the F***ing World'.

'The Dessert' features a frustrated young woman motivated to move out after witnessing her parents sharing an overly romantic kitchen moment. She uses her 'Move out' Starling Saving Space to help her reach her goal.

sees an entrepreneurial young girl washing her parents' car in exchange for pocket money. She receives the money on her Starling Kite app but, unimpressed by the amount, negotiates for more.

'Night Owls' features a hard-working lorry driver on a night shift, encouraging his partner to enjoy a night out with friends. Later on, he receives a 'Karaoke Bar' spending notification from her on their Starling Joint Account and he drifts off to sleep with a smile.

The ads will launch in primetime spots on Sky, Channel 4 and ITV, starting with triple and double placements in ad breaks. The integrated, multi-platform campaign also includes channel-specific assets created for YouTube, BVOD, radio, podcasts, social and digital.

The bank's out of home campaign, shot by Starling's in-house photographer Gina Atanesian, will land across large scale building wraps in Bristol, Leeds, London and Manchester, as well as across national roadside, rail and underground stations. The sites have been chosen for high reach and impact, ensuring people interact with the relatable stories throughout their day.

Starling's media strategy, created in partnership with Electric Glue, follows an in-depth audience planning project to help the bank define key market segments for its growth across different life stages, from children to the 'third age' generation. The media buy is based on a thorough deep-dive into the real-life media behaviours across these market segments and aims to drive brand fame and salience.

The campaign will run for three months initially and marks the start of a long term marketing strategy underpinned by the new brand positioning and audience strategy.

Rachel Kerrone, Brand and Marketing Director at Starling Bank said: "We've been building Starling's brand awareness since launching in 2017 with campaigns that capture our founding mission: to change banking for good. With brand awareness at an all time high, The Bank Built for You platform takes us in an exciting new direction. We're telling relatable human stories that highlight the unique ways we manage our money. It's about anchoring our best-in-banking features in reality and showcasing how Starling can change the way people spend and save".

Eve Stepney, Head of Creative at Starling Bank adds: "We've loved sending sheds and people into the stratosphere over the past few years - who wouldn't? But this time, it felt right to give real human moments the same cinematic treatment. There's a story behind every pound earned, saved and spent, and everyone involved brought their own weird, joyful, complex money experiences to the creative process. We're excited to tell even more of these stories through the lens of this new platform."

The bank's ambitions for growth in 2024 span account volumes, customer deposits, and the expansion of Starling's global software business, Engine. These ambitions come as the bank edges closer towards IPO and follow a number of key milestones reached in 2023, such as hitting four million customer accounts, increasing its headcount by 38% to more than 3,000, and opening a Northern base in Manchester.

The bank's brand push is complemented by a 25% headcount increase in its marketing communications function, headed by the bank's Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Alexandra Frean. The function has recently been restructured to ensure better integration across Starling's specialist brand marketing, product marketing and growth marketing teams, as well as an in-house creative studio, and social media and communications practice.

Jack Croft and Stacey Bird, Creative Directors at Wonderhood Studios said: "Our ambition was to create a campaign with Starling that stood out from the sea of other banking ads that often don't seem in touch with real people. 'The bank built for you' enables us to champion Starling's unique approach to banking and showcase it in a relatable way. Each film feels like a real moment in a real person's day, whether funny, lonely, or joyful - something we feel is unique to Starling."

Pippa Glucklich, CEO of Electric Glue said: "The best campaigns come when different people sit around the table, with creative and media all working together to support an ambitious client. Starling's new campaign is a brilliant example of this. Our media strategy is designed to build brand reach and stature for Starling as it takes on not just newer banks but the high street giants as well."

Watch Starling's new campaign ads:

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Starling Bank launches new brand platform 'The Bank Built for You' - Starling Bank

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Starling Bank has created a new brand platform, with a new positioning, strategy and ad creative to mark the beginning of an ambitious year of growth.

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https://www.warc.com/content/article/virgin-atlantic-see-the-world-differently/152502

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https://www.warc.com/content/article/warc-exclusive/johnnie-walker-repositions-its-keep-walking-branding-to-reflect-the-caring-post-pandemic-era/148721

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https://thebrandoutlaw.com/old-spice-rebrand/

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Having a heritage brand is a good thing. Being seen as outdated ... not so much.

Old Spice was on the wrong side of that line in 2010 when the company embarked on a massive rebranding campaign. That investment in brand image proved to be a smart move.

"The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" commercials were incredibly popular, and the company's social media presence skyrocketed. Old Spice is now one of the most recognizable brands in the world thanks to this bold rebranding effort.

Here's how they did it.

Old Spice's History

Old Spice is an iconic and beloved American grooming brand with a long, rich history that dates back to the 1930s. It began as a small-scale operation founded in St. Louis, Missouri by William Lightfoot Schultz. Over the next few decades, it grew into the preeminent male grooming brand with classic scents and a timeless image that brought to mind old-fashioned barbering.

In 1990, Procter & Gamble bought Old Spice for $300 million as part of an acquisition deal that expanded its product line and made its deodorant and other items widely available in popular retail stores around the world.

Why Did Old Spice Rebrand?

Unfortunately, even well-renowned brands can run the risk of growing stale in the minds of consumers. Being popular at one point is no guarantee that you'll stay that way forever. Old Spice's reputation had deteriorated as a low-quality, bargain brand with an outdated image that appealed only to older generations.

It was seen as an unattractive choice for younger shoppers looking to make a statement with quality body wash and other grooming products and fragrance choices. Young men were gravitating toward products like Axe, seeing Old Spice as their grandfather's deodorant. Old Spice had failed to keep up with the attitudes of modern consumers and was literally paying the price.

What was Old Spice's strategy with its rebrand?

Old Spice's challenge would be shaking off its "old man" image and engaging with a new generation of customers. The rebrand included an updated logo and website design and most notably, an advertising campaign that included actor Isaiah Mustafa as their spokesperson.

The ads relied heavily on absurd humor with jokes that were clearly meant to speak to the demographic of 20-40-year-old men . The commercials grabbed many viewers' attention and spoke directly to younger generations. Old Spice employed an aggressive use of television commercials, digital media campaigns, and cleverly designed packaging. They also made sure to include plenty of memorable taglines such as "Believe in Your Smellf."

Taking on the jester persona isn't something every brand should do. If the humor falls flat, your brand's reputation will take a hit. But if your brand (or the agency you hire to develop the campaign) has the chops to pull off humor, it's a strategy that could drive a lot of attention, as it did for Old Spice. Many people, especially the target demo of younger men, latched onto memorable lines like, "We're not saying this body wash will make your man smell like a romantic millionaire jet fighter pilot, but we are insinuating it."

How was the Old Spice rebrand initially received by the public?

The rebrand of Old Spice was initially met with cautious optimism. Consumers were intrigued by the marketing campaign that was heavily reliant on a sense of witty humor. This rebranding initially tried to create an image of being a modern and sophisticated product line, which paid off with a positive public sentiment.

This rebrand led to unprecedented growth for the product line, with increased sales, engagement online, and recognition from the industry. It was largely considered a success from the very beginning, helped by its high visibility advertisement paying off in dividends.

Was the Old Spice rebrand successful?

Old Spice's rebrand was incredibly successful. After it launched, the company saw a significant increase in sales and engagement with its target audience. The messaging shift, the well-executed humor, and the celebrity endorsements all resonated with the public and reestablished the brand as a major player in men's grooming products. The result was increased profits and enhanced brand recognition all over the world.

The ad campaign itself was wildly popular. It garnered nearly 6 million YouTube views in its first day and went on to win awards, even getting an Emmy nomination.

How did affect the bottom line? Old Spice saw double-digit annual sales growth for several years in a row. The brand's U.S. market share increased from 3% to 6%, with total sales revenue rising from $280 million in 2009 to over 1 billion by 2017. Thanks to its modern and witty approach to advertising, Old Spice is once again one of the most recognizable brands on the planet.

Didn't this campaign alienate Old Spice's long-time fans?

When making a concerted effort to target a new demographic, there's going to be a risk of making your current customer base feel underappreciated or left behind. While Old Spice needed to expand its appeal to younger generations, it couldn't discard its loyal customers.

Wisely, branding firm Landor decided to lean into Old Spice's status as a heritage brand when redesigning the logo and packaging. Originally, the logo incorporated nautical ship imagery as a nod to the way spices were transported across the world. The brand discarded that in 2004, opting to use a sailboat in the logo.

For the 2010 rebrand, however, the ships returned. This signified that, despite the shift in tone, Old Spice was a brand with a long, rich history. That helped older customers maintain their trust in the brand. They may not have been among the millions of YouTube viewers cracking up at a man magically transporting himself from the shower to a boat to a horse, but they did see the sophisticated packaging letting them know Old Spice hadn't kicked them to the curb.

Wrap-Up

Being the preferred product of a certain age demographic is great ... for a while. That comfort and stability can last only so long. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but no generation of people can last forever. Do you want your brand to die out alongside your comfortable customer base?

Old Spice knew that a brand established in the 1930s couldn't survive appealing only to older men. It needed to change its image and appeal to a whole new customer base. And sure, the hilarious commercials did a lot of the heavy lifting, but this rebrand was built on a much stronger foundation. Behind the ad campaign was a deep understanding of Old Spice's desired target market, careful planning, and precise execution.

If your brand's scent is getting stale, don't panic. Just believe in your smellf, and follow Old Spice's lead.

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How Old Spice Rebranded Into an Advertising Sensation - Brand Outlaw

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Old Spice had a reputation as an old man's grooming product. How did the company's major rebrand turn that image around?

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https://www.warc.com/content/article/warc-awards-effectiveness/cadbury-giving-the-people-their-chocolate-back/136534

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https://lbbonline.com/news/why-e45-started-afresh-and-defied-the-skincare-category

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Last year, Karo Healthcare acquired cult-favourite brand E45 from Reckitt, and with that, the skincare brand became the biggest name in Karo's repertoire. Soon enough - this month, in fact - it launched E45's newest rebranding campaign, aiming to modernise the household name and resonate with younger consumers. Made by The&Partnership and mSix group, the campaign was dubbed 'THIS IS ME45' and, as the play on words suggests, it touches on the ways in which all the E45 products can become a part of a healthy skincare diet, no matter the condition or skin type, and can be worn with unabashed confidence. Somesuch's Tajana Tokyo brought the idea to life by painting a picture of modern Britain, showcasing the beauty of everyday situations - a postie in shorts protecting her dry winter knees, school girls dancing in the bathroom mirror, a cyclist commuting home, an adorable scene of a father and his son post swimming practice, a woman working in her home office and a student doing the dreadful washing up. A brand which has been not just around, but has become a habit in its everyday usage by Brits, both for treatment of skin conditions and just simple sun protection or moisturisation, is finally getting a new, fresh start. While protecting its heritage, the teams behind ME45 aim to promote confidence and break the barriers of the skincare industry - this is also why the talent of the film is entirely street-cast! LBB's Zoe Antonov spoke to Benjamin Court, global marketing manager of E45 at Karo Pharma and Kate Allsop and Sarina Da Costa Gomez, creative directors for The&Partnership, to find out more.
Benjamin> The brief was to develop an enduring campaign idea for E45, something that is ownable and true to our brand's heritage, but also something that would drive reappraisal of E45, especially among younger audiences. The idea of being comfortable in your skin, which is very present in our campaign, resonates so well with the brand and with our consumers, and it is important to have a message that goes beyond the product claims.

The ME45 idea was there from the beginning of the process with The&Partnership, but we considered many other options and ultimately, this is the one that resonated most with consumers and that we loved the most as well!

Benjamin> As soon as we acquired the brand, we started work on it, but in order to get it right, we took a step back, did some consumer research, and worked on our brand heart and positioning before launching into the creative work.

In terms of timing, launching in October lines up nicely with the start of the cold weather and the increase in dry skin incidences. It also lines up with the launch of our new face products, which includes a day cream with SPF, a night cream, and a serum.

Kate> E45 is a trusted brand that is in most people's homes across the nation, and we're making it relevant again to a younger audience. The bold new creative vehicle, 'THIS IS ME45', is about giving people unapologetic confidence to feel comfortable in their skin, physically and emotionally.

Benjamin> 'THIS IS ME45' is our new brand tagline. Given the high brand awareness of E45 in the UK, we know audiences will get it and hopefully take away from it that E45 is a brand for them - a brand for everyone - and that we cater to all skin types and conditions.

Sarina> We couldn't have wished for better clients than the team at Karo Healthcare. This is a new client relationship for The&Partnership after our pitch win last year. They have been our absolute trusted and trusting partners on this campaign.

Benjamin> We had a really great team on the project, and they worked really well together, making it a fairly smooth process throughout. They really understood how important this campaign was for us and put a lot of effort into making this a success. The team really was very passionate about the brand and brought in a great director, Tejana Tokyo, who brought her incredible vision to the script.

Kate> Our director, Tajana Tokyo from Somesuch, shot on film, which allowed us to show real people's skin with authentic quality. The new campaign launch also coincided with a vibrant new visual brand identity refresh for E45, so we were keen to reflect that bold new look in our aesthetic.

Sarina> Not just British - modern British. E45 is a British brand, and the campaign reflects that. We've all seen a postie out delivering the mail while wearing shorts in the freezing depths of winter. They carry on in British stoic fashion. Or we probably all remember the chlorine itch from the local swimming pool. It's insightful British moments like this which makes this film relatable. At the same time, we were mindful to make it true to 2023 Britain with contemporary references like the working from home scene, and diverse casting throughout.

Kate> We're refreshing the brand's tone of voice and music has a big part to play in that. The music is an original composition by Sunny Kapoor and is brimming with the confidence we want people to feel when they see this spot.

Sarina> The talent in our campaign were all street-cast for their diverse characters and different skin conditions. We wanted to authentically represent people with real skin conditions to create a totally relatable film.

Benjamin> We wanted to show real people with real skin conditions. You don't often see close-ups of skin in skin care ads, and it was important for us to show different skin conditions in a way that's not often seen. We're also going to be releasing our on social channels behind the scenes content where we ask our cast about their skin conditions and we get their advice on how they've learned to be comfortable in their skin - something that can be challenging.

Kate> Street-casting for skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis comes with its challenges, as it tends to be something that people often cover up. But the process was worth it as we got to meet some interesting people with incredible skin stories. And under Tajana's direction, we saw their confidence blossom on set, so the shooting process beautifully mirrored the brand role.

Benjamin> E45 has been around for over 70 years and with this rebrand, we wanted to show real people with real skin problems. A lot of the time, the skincare industry still feels quite airbrushed and the usual category norms don't really align with E45 , so we're very proud that this rebrand feels modern and also very in line with our brand.

Kate> It's not every day that you get to refresh a brand as iconic as E45. Our fresh new platform is just the start of a whole new chapter for E45 - one where we're on a mission to help everybody feel comfortable in their skin. And there's more new work in the pipeline for E45 off the back of winning the prestigious Channel 4 Diversity in Advertising Award. Watch this space!

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why e45 started afresh and defied the skincare category

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Why E45 Started Afresh and Defied the Skincare Category | LBBOnline

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Little Black Book, LBB's Zoe Antonov spoke to the teams at E45 and The&Partnership about the new 'THIS IS ME45' brand platform that aims to find the heritage brand's new place in modern Britain

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See also:

https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/9-13-january-2023/designstudio-center-parcs-europe/

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Center Parcs Europe | D&AD Awards 2023 Shortlist | Large Enterprise / Logos | D&AD

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D&AD Awards 2023 Large Enterprise / Logos Shortlist Winner.

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https://brandmasteracademy.com/rebrand-case-study-mailchimp/