Thinkbox
Story of the film
Here we take a look at how Hovis’ “as good today as it’s ever been’ campaign” restored the fortunes of one of Britain’s oldest brands and gave it modern relevance: a clear cut example of iconic creativity driving effectiveness. This film is a Grand Prix and Gold winning campaign from the 2010 IPA Effectiveness Awards.
Summary
This film tells the story of the revival of one of Britain’s oldest brands. Hovis had been in trouble since 2006, falling far behind regional upstart Warburton’s. The ‘As Good Today As It’s Ever Been’ campaign leveraged history to prove enduring modern relevance for the brand. Communications included a 122 second TV commercial and a PR onslaught, as well as a host of product-specific communications, which together resulted in the campaign being voted the nation’s ‘Campaign of the Decade’. Sales grew by 14% year-on-year, and the share gap with Warburton’s, which had been projected to reach 20 percentage points, narrowed to only six percentage points. Up to £90m incremental profits were generated, representing a payback of c.£5 to 1. The film goes on to explore what happened next for Hovis, including a look at the thinking behind the follow up ad, “Miss Chief”.
Appearing on film:
Titles were correct at the time of publish date
- Danny Brooke-Taylor, Executive Creative Director, Dare
- Frankie Cory, Managing Director Frank PR
- Jon Goldstone, Marketing Director, Premier Foods
- Jane Holding, Business Director, Starcom Mediavest
- Andy Nairn, Chief Strategic Officer, Dare, Author
With additional effectiveness insights from:
- Peter Field, Marketing and IPA Databank Consultant
- David Golding, Founding Partner, Adam & Eve and Convenor of Judges 2010 IPA Effectiveness Awards
Databank
Title: Hovis: as good today as it’s ever been
Awards: 2010 IPA Effectiveness Awards, Gold & Grand Prix; ITV viewers’ ‘Campaign of the Decade’
Client: Premier Foods
Credited companies: Creative agency: MCBD (Dare); design agency: JKR; digital agency: Agency Republic; media agency: MediaVest; PR agencies: Cirkle, Frank PR
Entrant: MCBD
Principal Author: Andy Nairn, MCBD