And so to Primark – or Primani (sorry Giorgio, not great timing) – which has chosen this week to launch the first TV ad in its 51-year history, celebrating the power of great denim without the premium price tag.
“In Denim We Can”, is the first activity to emerge from Primark’s new brand platform “That’s So Primark” in the UK, devised by VCCP (yes, we know we write a lot about them but, hey, they do a hell of a lot of work).
Anyway, the aim of the campaign is to position Primark as the go-to for great quality, stylish denim at incredible value this autumn: from classic fits to on-trend tops, Primark’s new Autumn/Winter 25 collection starts from just £12.
Rooted in the insight that the right pair of jeans has the power to transform your mood – we guess there are some strange folk out there – “In Denim We Can” stresses the fact that you don’t need to pay premium prices to get your hands on denim that makes you feel ready to take on anything the day might throw your way (their words not ours).
Building on the brand’s social-first, influencer-led strategy, the integrated campaign extends into TV, out-of-home, in-store, transport wraps and digital.
And, they have certainly chucked plenty of money at it, with a film directed by Grammy award-winning filmmaker Nadia Marquard Otzen through Academy Films and choreographed by acclaimed “movement director” Ryan Heffington.
In homage to Levi’s 501 Nick Camen “Laundrette” – devised by BBH, of course – the film is set to the 1979 Slits cover of I Heard It Through The Grapevine (a slice of performance royalties for them; a much larger chunk of both perfomance and mechanical royalties for Marvin Gaye’s three children). It shows women dressed in Primark denim moving through their morning routine: waking up, brushing their teeth, getting dressed, leaving their homes and sashaying their way across the city.
The activity was produced by Girl&Bear, VCCP’s global content creation studio, with PR led by Weber Shandwick and Momentum. Media strategy and buying have been managed by Publicis Media UK. It also supports the natiowidewide rollout of Primark’s Click & Collect service, which will feature as a key call-to-action across all work.
Primark marketing director at Primark Wendy Duggan seems pretty pleased with the final cut. She said: “At a time when value matters more than ever to shoppers, we’re more confident than ever in what Primark offers – great style, quality and affordability. We’ve raised the bar on our denim and are launching our best denim collection yet, so now felt like the right moment to go bigger, both creatively and in media.”
VCCP creative director Nikki Lindman added: “‘In Denim We Can’ brings to life the universal truth – that strength is found in denim, not just as clothing, but as a feeling – We all know that when we slip on some fab fitting denim, we feel stronger, tougher, capable, sassier – it’s confidence in fabric form, basically.”
So, what is the consensus around the Decision Marketing office?
Well, one thing is for sure, Primark is cheap as chips; not that you would think it from this ad which is obviously pretty pricey; almost unheard of from a fast fashion brand.
Yet it does come with an ethical dilemma. It is well known that the fast fashion business model keeps pricing down by focusing on high sales volumes, low operational costs, and keeping an efficient supply chain but it also contributes to a cycle of mass production, notorious for its heavy carbon footprint.
And there’s the rub. Like it or not, every purchase from shops like Primark contribute to climate change; even “great denim”. Just saying. Love the ad though…
Decision Marketing Adometer: A “eat your heart out David Dundas” 8 out of 10
