An ad less ordinary

How does one of the oldest names in quality brassware stand out from the crowd in an increasingly saturated market? Sex up its ad campaign of course...

It’s not unusual to see semi-clad pouting 20-somethings staring blandly out from glossy ads, but the once dead-cert method of boosting a brand has become passé. Even so, few industries from cars to perfume have escaped the seductive power of the ‘sex sells’ concept. Who can forget an orgasmic Sophie Dahl writhing around clutching a bottle of Opium perfume? Even ice-cream brands have exploited the sales pitch of the naked form. So, if it’s succeeded in targeting the hearts – and wallets – of mass market audiences for these products, then why shouldn’t it work for the brassware industry?

Luxury brassware and bath­room accessories manufacturer Samuel Heath decided to exploit the power of reverse psychology when it commissioned marketing agency McCann Erickson to refresh its long-running product-based adverts. But in a fresh twist away from what Samuel Heath md David Pick coins the “clichéd” tactics of advertisers before them, McCann Erickson swapped the tight abs and smooth skin of youth, for the wisdom and confident smile of maturity, a message meant to echo the longevity of its brassware. And what better way could there be to portray wisdom and confidence than with vibrant images of 76-year old real-life model Pamela Phillips and 59-year-old graphic designer-cum actor, Chris Knowles?

The goal? To stand up against the “pressure from imports and cheaper imitations”. The result? A Life Less Ordinary, a campaign featuring portrait images shot by US photographer Mike Swartz. Geared up to run throughout the year as part of a marketing spend exceeding £225,000, the photographic images have already graced the pages of the quality press – appearing in everything from The Sunday Times to Elle Decoration and Saturday Telegraph magazine. Unposing and utterly comfortable in their bodies, the models in the campaign are depicted smiling and natural alongside Samuel Heath products. Of his groundbreaking decision to choose such an unconventional pair, Paul Baker, executive creative director for McCann Erickson enthuses: “It was a very different type of casting session – we were more interested in talking to people about their lives, loves and passions than how they looked. If you think of movie stars such as Ava Gardner – it is not superficial looks that make them beautiful, rather their strength of character and confidence that shines through. It was this X factor we were looking for.”

And according to md David Pick, the company is confident the adverts will play up Samuel Heath’s values and ensure the brand continues to stand out for its durability, quality and lasting beauty. “We believe the people who choose a Samuel Heath product are rejecting the faux and the faddish, choosing in their place fine detail and real substance,” he says. Emphasising the wish to connect with audiences on an emotional rather than superficial level, he adds: “The people we selected embody the values shared by our audience and our product values. They show an appreciation and beauty that endures with age.”

The jet-setting pair fronting the ads certainly live by those values. Grandmother of five Pamela Phillips has enjoyed a glamorous modelling career spanning five decades – a career that has included working with Lord Snowdon and, intriguingly, touring with the Pet Shop Boys. Demonstrating that the Samuel Heath value of longevity is also a personal one, Pamela has been happily married for more than 55 years. Similarly embracing life to the full, Chris Knowles is a British and European champion kite flyer who also divides his time between bird-watching, sport and acting. He has appeared in the Da Vinci Code, has played a wizard in Harry Potter and is currently working on the sequel to Elizabeth I.

Sound exhausting? Perhaps, but as the face of the campaign, Chris’ zest for life clearly ticks the ‘durability’ and ‘appreciation for the finer things in life’ boxes, so close to the heart of the Samuel Heath brand.

Only time – and sales figures – will tell what impact this brave campaign will have on Samuel Heath’s reputation. But one thing’s certain, the established brand has found a novel way to re-use an advertising technique that had been done to death.