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Group745
Group745
Group745
Group745
Group745
Group745
Creative in association withGear Seven
Group745

Platoon of Penguins Help Britain Get Connected in New British Gas Spot

27/03/2017
Advertising Agency
London, UK
380
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Wilbur the Penguin stars in new ad from CHI&Partners directed by Nexus' Smith & Foulkes

On Saturday, British Gas unveiled its new brand initiative, ‘Smarter Homes For All’ – a multi-discipline communications campaign designed to show how smart home technology can offer real benefits to Britain’s homes. Fronted by Wilbur the Penguin, the company-wide initiative aims to make smart technology accessible to all and showcases the benefits with real life situations.

Devised by creative agency CHI&Partners, ‘Smarter Homes For All’ commenced with a TV advert on Saturday 25th March on Channel 4, and will run until Sunday 7th May. This will be supported by a brand radio campaign and a digital out-of-home launch campaign in London’s St Pancras station. There will also be DRTV, radio and a PR programme.

The idea of the smart home is no longer a futuristic ideal - for many people, it is already part of their daily lives. British Gas has pioneered many key changes within the household and is now leading the charge to make the nation’s homes smarter, saving consumers time and money and making everyday tasks a little easier.

The inaugural television advert will feature British Gas’s intrepid penguin, Wilbur, being helped up and down the country by his penguin friends to assist in bringing the nation smarter, connected homes. The advert begins with Wilbur and his friends setting off on their quest around the UK – from windy hilltops, to suburban streets – delivering smart meters and connected products to homes across the country. It concludes with a tired mother using her Hive app to dim the lights and turn down the heating without waking her new-born baby.

Through a mix of technological and storytelling craft expertise, Nexus Studios and directors Smith & Foulkes helped to bring Wilbur and his penguin friends to life, creating over 50 fur and feather covered characters and the multitude of environments required to illustrate the benefits of smart home technology. 

Miriam Jordan Keane, ‎Head of Marketing at British Gas, says: “At British Gas we firmly believe in the importance of smarter homes for all. We want our customers to enjoy all the things they always have and always will, but made a little easier, simpler and smarter. In the UK, our homes are our havens, with a unique place in our hearts and our lives, places of safety, warmth, comfort and convenience.

“Our new brand campaign ultimately reflects the fact that as British homes get smarter, people are going to become more attached to them than ever before. British Gas is at the forefront of the smart home technology movement giving its customers smart meters and connected devices to help them manage their homes better than ever before.”

Connected home technology is advancing faster than ever. British Gas is leading the smart meter roll-out with over 3 million in homes across the country to ensure customers get the benefits of smart as early as possible. The growth of British Gas Connected Home in a highly competitive market has also been planned with precision. The team has focused on expanding beyond heating with the launch of Hive Active Light™, Hive Sensors and Hive Active Plug™ last year, and the brand has almost doubled its customer base in the last year, and is now present in over 400,000 homes. 

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