B&Q Silences Home Improvement Doubts and Proves 'You Can Do It'

Leading DIY retailer, B&Q, has unveiled its latest TV advert which spotlights the business’ iconic ‘You Can Do It’ slogan which has been an integral part in the brand’s heritage for nearly 40 years. In a world that holds people back from believing ‘they can’ - B&Q wants to silence this doubt and inspire action - encouraging people that they can do it - no matter how big or small.

The campaign was developed in conjunction with London-based creative studio, Uncommon, and is the pinnacle of a brand new B&Q partnership with ITV brokered by Dentsu Creative Entertainment which launched during ITV’s hugely successful and final series of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Take Away.

Since its inception, B&Q has been a brand that believes you can do it. B&Q’s Slice of Home Life [1] report revealed that 80% of people want to make changes in their homes, but only 36% feel like they can actually do it. With people having less time, less money, less motivation and more worry about what could go wrong, these iconic words play an important role in empowering those embarking on their home improvement journeys, giving them the confidence to tackle their DIY projects.

This new film opens with a woman holding a sledgehammer facing an old wall in her home, acting metaphorically as her doubt, her fear and her can’t - picking up the sledgehammer, she is ready to face the task in front of her - but it becomes heavy in her hand and the uncertainty wins again.

The VO then casts shades of doubt over numerous home improvement scenarios, with people giving in to the ‘can’t’. Common moments of household worries take over, and the DIY challenges become more daunting - from a growing hallway, an excruciatingly small screw and an unruly garden - the fear they ‘can’t’ is too loud. The procrastination begins, and the home improvements halt.

The film takes a gear shift - our protagonist comes to the realisation that her sledgehammer is louder than the voices of doubt in her head. She picks it up and smashes through the wall in front of her - simultaneously any fear is crushed - leaving her believing ‘You Can Do It’. Home improvements begin throughout each scene, doors are sanded, wood is sawed, gardens are cut back and bathrooms are perfected. Doubt is ignored, and action has been taken because. ‘You Can Do It’ when you B&Q it.

Tom Hampson, marketing director at B&Q, said, ‘You Can Do It’ has been part of B&Q’s story for nearly 40 years. It’s one of our most distinctive brand assets and we’re delighted to be putting a spotlight on it with our brand new campaign. Not only that - but its relevance today has never felt more important as we know that many put off starting home improvement projects. Overcoming that doubt and believing that you can do it, is made easier when you have a trusted partner like B&Q to empower you to get started. We hope our ‘You Can Do It’ campaign can help inspire confidence to those embarking on their DIY journeys.”

Nils Leonard, co-founder at Uncommon said, “We’re really proud of our continued partnership with one of the UK’s most loved DIY brands, B&Q - as we bring new life and meaning to their household tagline - You Can Do It. We live in a world where we’re told we can’t more and more, every day - this campaign is all about reclaiming that message with power in a way only B&Q can.”

The film will run across TV and VOD on ITV, Channel 4 and Sky for the rest of the month and into March the integrated campaign will also include a series of striking and bold out-of-home executions launching next month - stay tuned.

The new ad is the pinnacle of a brand new B&Q Partnership with ITV brokered by Dentsu Creative Entertainment which launches during ITV’s hugely successful and final series of Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Take Away. Investing in what is a big TV come-together moment, the idents leverage ITV’s Proudly Presents format reproducing and reimagining the conventional ITV graphic concept into a monumental 20 ft by 35 ft handmade installation, marking a media first for ITV by allowing a brand to feature within the Proudly Presents format.

Embodying the ethos of ‘You Can Do It’ the idents not only embraced the mantra but brought it to life in stunning fashion. Through ingenuity and creativity and utilising B&Q products we see a set being built teasing what’s to come for viewers over four, 10-second ads, which will air sequentially during the ad breaks of the 20th and final Season of Saturday Night Takeaway. The culmination of this series will feature the epic reveal of B&Q’s monumental creation, seamlessly segueing into the debut of B&Q’s brand new film for You Can Do It.

Keiron Batchelor, Dentsu Creative Entertainment said, "We are thrilled to pioneer this ground breaking collaboration with B&Q and ITV. By pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation, we’ve created something truly spectacular that we hope resonates and captures people’s attention while delivering the powerful ‘You Can Do It’ message.’"