It has been quite a year for the Tesco Mobile supermarket trolley. The metal basket on wheels has been saving Brits money on phone prices and endearing himself to them in the process. Now it has undertaken its bravest rescue ever. In a classic “Lassie” parody (if you’re not old enough to get the reference, Google), the trolley saves a man stuck in a well. The allegory positions Tesco Mobile as the most helpful network in the UK in a delightfully surprising way, humorously underscored boy Glenn Frey’s song, The Heat is On.
The new campaign feeds into the mood of the moment. The cost of living is biting hard. The work is a positive reminder that Tesco Mobile is here to offer more help than you’d expect.
The campaign’s print and OOH work follows along the same theme, positioning Tesco Mobile as “the network that gives a sausage”. (You did note the “rope” used in the rescue, didn’t you?)
The campaign premiered in Prime-time TV slots in the UK on Friday April 7 and will run for two months across TVC, BVOD, social, print, OOH and radio. Media planning and buying was handled by EssenceMediacom.
BBH creative director, Uche Ezugwu, stated, “This is definitely the most epic journey so far for our trolley. Traktor did a brilliant job bringing it to life and giving it character. Also, it’s not often you see a shopping trolley go into a river and make it out alive.”
Rachel Swift, chief customer officer at Tesco Mobile, added, “Here at Tesco Mobile, our customers are at the heart of everything we do. That’s why being helpful is our bread and butter. We wanted to bring to life how we’re the helpful network that puts a smile on people’s faces in a way that only supermarket mobile can. And I believe BBH have delivered a campaign that does just that. We hope everyone enjoys it as much as we enjoyed creating it.”
Credits:
Client: Tesco Mobile
Chief Customer Officer: Rachel Swift
Head of Brand & Comms: Emma Herridge
Comms Planning & Campaigns Lead: Zea Westwick
Campaign Manager: Shadyn Nikzad
Campaign Executive: Carolina Molina
Agency: BBH London
Chief Creative Officer: Alex Grieve
Executive Creative Director: Helen Rhodes
Creative Director: Uche Ezugwu
Creative Leads: Neil Clarke & Jay Phillips
Copywriter: Claire Becker
Senior Strategist: Laura Casado Cisa
Strategy Director: Dean Matthewson
Business Lead: Sarah Rodrigues
Account Director: Keren Jones
Account Manager: Madeleine McCarthy
Account Executive: Joe Clark
Senior Film Producer: Michael Hanney
Assistant Producer: Tina Mwazange
Print Producer: Amy Grady
Production Company: Stink
Director: Traktor
Executive Producers: Andrew Levene & Jon Chads
Producer: Ben Roberts
Production Manager: Polly Leach
DOP: Sophie Winqvist Loggins
Art Director: Chico Olivei
Local Service Company Producer: Nick Roycroft @ Page Productions
Editor: David Webb @ Final Cut
Colourist: Luke Morrison @ Electric Theatre Collective
Sound: Sam Ashwell @ 750mph
Post Production: Electric Theatre Collective
Producer: Matt Williams
Music Supervision: Black Sheep Music
Music: The Heat is On – Glenn Frey
