Argos grays out ‘greige’ phenomenon with colorful AI campaign
The catalog retailer is opening the eyes of consumers to the color spectrum.
Argos is battling against the proliferation of gray furnishings with a campaign conceived by Ogilvy UK that encourages shoppers to look beyond interior design trends and embrace their personalities when redecorating their homes.
Harnessing artificial intelligence (AI)-powered emotion-tracking tech, the campaign follows one lucky family who put the hi-tech solution to the test to furnish their dining room.
Banishing gray and beige for greater individuality, the solution moves away from a one-size-fits-all approach in favor of a tailored solution that matches personal tastes by using only products and colors to which we respond positively.
Johnny Watters and Angus George, executive creative directors at Ogilvy UK, said: “The campaign is fun and heartwarming but also thought-provoking, sitting right at the intersection of behavioral science, AI technology and pop culture. This work epitomizes the huge creative opportunity of owned channels and organic social. You can’t just pay for eyeballs. The content has to be good enough to draw people in. It’s like a brand’s own capsule TV channel. And if you want more viewers, you need great shows. Watch this space.”
Rob Quartermain, head of marketing and brand at Argos, added: “There are so many different ways to style a home, it’s no wonder people get a bit of choice paralysis. The risk is we get overwhelmed, and we end up with homes that don’t reflect us. We wanted to help our customers trust their instincts a little more. Trust themselves. And reassure them that no matter how quirky or trendy or sparse or wild their tastes might be, we’ve got everything they need to make themselves at home.”
Launching on YouTube, the social-first makeover follows the retailer’s current push to embrace cutting-edge tech to win over fresh customers, as evidenced by its enthusiastic embrace of the metaverse.
Credits
Managing partner: Rebecca Dennis
Business director: Hannah Gage
Account director: Liz Svilane
Account manager: Mel Ashton
Strategy director: Matt Straker-Taylor
Executive creative directors: Angus George and Johnny Watters
Creative director: Tom Bellamy and Chris Chance
Creatives: Chris Lawlor and Samuel Hinckley
Head of motion: Alex Durham
Senior designer: Simon O’Brien
Designer: Anna Dormidontova
Project director: Gareth Robertson
Senior producer: Stephanie Warner
Production assistant: Lynsie Roberts
Director, No Trace: Sunny Bahia
Head of marketing and brand, Argos: Rob Quartermain
Campaign manager, Argos: Lisa Ironside
Campaign executive, Argos: Jenna Smith
Campaign assistant, Argos: Liam Dove