Primark 'riffs off' high fashion with 'Shockingly Chic' ads

Primark has unveiled its Spring collection with a new campaign that is designed to celebrate the retailer’s offering of elevated style at shockingly affordable prices, as part of its wider ‘That’s so Primark’ platform.

Created by VCCP, ‘Shockingly Chic’ aims to attract new shoppers by strengthening Primark’s reputation for standout style without breaking the bank.

The activity plays with the element of surprise, celebrating that double-take moment when you find looks at Primark that are not only impossibly stylish but “shockingly affordable”. The proof is in the product: 100% linen, paper-pleat cocoon trousers, satin dresses that are genuinely chic, yet “unmistakably” Primark.

This fully-integrated campaign spans TV, social, DOOH, radio and partnerships with Sheerluxe and The Telegraph. The push includes an exclusive on-demand streaming presence across Married at First Sight Australia content on Channel 4’s platforms. The spring campaign also marks the first time Primark has run radio ads in the UK, with multi-platform support across linear radio, digital audio and podcasts.

The campaign kicks off with a film that plunges Primark into a world it has never dared to enter before, riffing off the serious glamour of high fashion.

Directed by Folkert Verdoorn through Magna Studios, in collaboration with VCCP’s global content creation studio Girl&Bear, the film is set amid otherworldly scenery – chic city skylines and elegantly posed animals, from dalmatians to horses. Teasing glimpses of a blue Primark label create a sense that all is not quite as it seems, culminating in the reveal: every piece is from Primark.

This campaign world extends into striking photography, shot by Charlotte Hadden through Together Associates, where serious, high-fashion poses are punctuated by models breaking composure with shocked expressions as they realise what they are wearing is Primark.

This photography can be seen across OOH, DOOH and social. While on TikTok, VCCP pushed the creative idea even further with a social-first execution featuring a Primark stylist adjusting for added chicness on set.

Girl&Bear managed the project from start to finish, overseeing strategic and creative development, production and post-production across AV, stills, DOOH and social deliverables. Girl&Bear also worked on post-production across motion DOOH, as well as leading design development and rollout across static DOOH, social, AV titles and in-store retail assets.

PR has been led by The Romans, social media by SocialChain and activation by Momentum. Media strategy and buying managed by One Publicis Primark.

Primark marketing director Wendy Duggan said: “Shockingly Chic is about us putting our style credentials front and centre, using bold storytelling and high-impact media to reach more shoppers on the UK high street.

“We want people to think again that they need to spend more to get stylish and quality fashion this Spring and this campaign looks to challenge those perceptions head on in our own way full of humour and fun. It follows on from our first integrated brand campaign ‘In Denim We Can’ and marks another important step in how we show up as a modern, fashion brand that delivers unbeatable value.”

VCCP creative director Nikki Lindman added: “There’s something thrilling about telling someone your outfit is from Primark and watching their reaction. ‘Shockingly Chic’ leans into that magic moment. When you’re underestimated, surprise is your superpower – and we wanted to celebrate that with a big, bold, tongue-in-‘chic’ love letter to high fashion.”