Amazing Us

Currys brings laughs in a new ad to highlight the power of shopping for tech I.R.L.
New playful campaign in partnership with AMV BBDO and Spark Foundry showcases the hilarity of online shopping habits in a hands-on, in-store world

Currys, the UK’s largest tech retailer, is raising the laughing bar once again with the latest instalment of its “Beyond Techspectations” campaign. The new film emphasises the value of in-store shopping, where customers can truly “see it, feel it, try it” before they buy. This humorous spot reaffirms Currys' position as the go-to destination for tech expertise and personalised service, reinforcing that the in-store experience is crucial for making confident, informed purchases in a tech-driven world.

The latest in the campaign series that has so far offered 14 ads in 12 months, points out that shopping online means we’re missing something when we make a purchase.

Aisling Lancaster, head of brand and advertising at Currys says, “Beyond Techspectations allows us to place humour at the heart of a relatable human truth, in this case the activity of shopping in physical stores. While so many of us are familiar now with making purchases online, maybe we have forgotten what the in-store experience can be like! At Currys we’re proud to offer the full omnichannel experience when shopping for tech. Our large network of stores across the UK means that customers can come and try out the tech for themselves before making the financial investment. And they can take it home with them there and then, rather than having to wait for delivery.”

In the 30-second film, a group of die-hard online shoppers are introduced to the shopping experience of a real store. As they try to interact with the physical world as though it were digital, they are blown away by the real-life experience - literally in the case of a customer trying out a hairdryer. To add to the sense of satire and fun, the filming style follows a documentary look and feel with handheld camera work. This helped the creatives capture multiple vignettes in a single shoot day to support a narrative that is set up and delivered by a store manager.

AMV BBDO Creative Directors Jeremy Tribe and Dave Westland say, “Currys have a fantastic online set-up, but their commitment to stores and personal expertise is their biggest competitive advantage. So the idea of die-hard online shoppers opening their eyes to the wonders of real-life stores seemed like a great business insight and, importantly, really funny.”

The new spot is part of an ongoing brand platform that has seen ROI supercharged for the brand. Every marketing pound spent has been paid back into the business by increasing sales and while this has already seen compelling growth in ROI in the previous year, this was turbo-charged by +44% YoY. Along with this the work has pushed Currys to the #1 spot for knowledgeable and helpful staff, made it the #1 preference, opening up clear space from Amazon and the campaign work has become #1 for comms awareness.

Rebecca Dorfman, Managing Partner at Spark Foundry says, “we want everyone to know the benefit of shopping in-store at Currys. To do this, we built a dual-level media strategy, focussed on mimicking the window-shopping experience at scale. Launching with a nationwide TV campaign, we are doubling down with contextual placements in digital retail spaces and on expert review sites encouraging people to visit Currys in-store to 'See It, Feel It, Try It' IRL.”

The 30” film will run on TV and online along with static banners for Roku to form part of its landing page. It launches this week, running for 15 weeks, just in time for the festive period and new year sales.