Argos Invited Kids to 'Just Add Imagination' in New Campaign for Chad Valley Toys by CP+B London

The toys themselves take centre stage as the protagonists in four 30’’ TV spots – directed by Mark Denton – in a marked departure from category convention (in which children typically feature throughout).

A broad range of actors’ voices, combined with perfectly timed cuts and camera moves, help drive the humour and engaging storytelling. The four films were scripted to appeal to both parents and young children alike… and seek to make the Chad Valley brand synonymous with toys that light up a child’s imagination. The endline Just Add Imagination was born out of the insight that toys only come fully to life in the hands of a child.

The first two films, which air on Sunday, 20 August, launch Chad Valley’s new Tots Town Range; in which children can change the tots’ vocations – and make their own stories – simply by switching the tots’ hats. This product feature causes havoc in the first film, when a lion escapes from the local zoo: characters have departed for different roles, leaving no one left to be the zoo keeper. In the second film, we learn that the pirates don’t quite make for the most desirable of neighbours.

The next two films, which first air on Sunday, 27 August, communicate the broad breadth of the Chad Valley brand’s range. Clyde, a blue Welsh dinosaur, regales how he got to where he did today… and, in the second, a house party gets a little out of hand.

Phil Cockrell, Creative Director at CP+B London, commented: “We’re immensely proud of these films because they communicate product range in a way that feels really fresh for the category.”

Andrea Derrick, Chad Valley Brand Controller at Argos, said: “Chad Valley has always been about imagination and this really shines through in these ads. We know that children love creating stories and characters with our toys and the playful way this is brought to life through the creative execution will make parents as well as children smile.”