Objectives and Desired Outcome

In the autumn of 2022, F.Hinds approached One Black Bear to pitch for a long-lasting brand platform that could accommodate multiple seasonal promotions. With a limited budget that didn't allow for a large terrestrial TV campaign, our approach needed to pack a punch. The campaign aimed to stand out in a competitive market, avoiding the typical pack shots and lifestyle imagery often used by high street jewellers, including F.Hinds.

Our goal was to create a campaign that was more than just price-led, promoting a 50% sale while also building the brand. We sought to capture the emotional aspects of jewellery gifting and highlight F.Hinds as the antidote to awkward gift-giving moments, showcasing the brand as offering great value and eliminating those awkward moments when a gift falls flat.

Challenges Faced

F.Hinds, a family business, has struggled to differentiate itself from other high street jewellers due to its limited marketing resources. The company had been restricted to traditional point-of-sale marketing with little focus on brand building. Convincing this cautious family business to embrace a new approach was a major challenge.

From a storytelling perspective, creating a campaign that worked within a six-second time frame was another hurdle. We needed to capture the delight, disappointment, and embarrassment of a failed gift exchange, allowing just enough time for the end frame and promotional information. Telling such a story with these restrictions required creativity and precision.

Innovative Approach

We broke from the usual tactical price marketing and created a brand campaign with the tagline, "Don’t do hindsight, do F.Hinds." The strategy focused on positioning F.Hinds as the solution to bad gifts. We deliberately avoided showing F.Hinds products until the final frame, instead highlighting the universal human experience of receiving a disappointing gift. This approach served as a reminder that F.Hinds can help you get it right. The campaign's theme was flexible enough to adapt to seasonal promotions, reinforcing its longevity.

Risks and Boundary-Pushing

F.Hinds had never embarked on this kind of advertising before. The campaign challenged traditional jewellery advertising norms by showcasing an awkward gift exchange rather than a perfect one. Our concept focused on a bad gift, a basic steam iron, to highlight the horror of poor gift-giving.

This approach required bravery from F.Hinds but proved successful in demonstrating the brand's unique perspective. We also included a voiceover to inject humour and ensure viewers stayed engaged. The silent tension before the voiceover emphasised the awkwardness of the scene. The campaign portrayed F.Hinds as an accessible, affordable solution to bad gift-giving without compromising its brand values.

Measurable Results

The campaign saw high engagement, achieving a video completion rate (VTR) of 97.76%, about 5% higher than the industry average of 91-93%. This indicates successful audience targeting, ensuring that the ads were served to the right people who engaged with the brand. The high VTR also proves the effectiveness of the creative approach, resonating well with the audience.

During the campaign, which ran across Video On Demand (VOD) platforms from November to December 2023, online sales increased by 23.73%, and stores in targeted areas saw a sales increase of 3.76%, despite a ~5% decrease in retail footfall during the same period. A brand study showed significant improvements in all tracked metrics compared to competitors and industry benchmarks, with consideration up by 30% and purchase intent up by 35%.