Very Opens the Door to 'Our House' in Star Studded Roadblock TikTok Takeover

Grey and Very.co.uk unveil the pinnacle of the campaign this weekend (March 27th) with the TV debut of ‘Very presents Our House’ – a roadblock screening of its new music video for the timeless 1980s hit song by Madness, a Very House Party DJ set by Sophie Ellis-Bextor hosted on Tik Tok LIVE, and the news that Very will gift home makeovers to those in need through a 12-month sponsorship of Good Guys Decorating.

Also, part of the campaign’s culmination is new research for the online retailer showing unusual ways Brits have passed the time through lockdown over the past 12 months.

Inspired by a fundamental shift in how people view their homes triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, Grey’s ‘Our House’ campaign for Very was conceived to reflect the moment we are all collectively going through across the nation with our homes playing a far greater role: it’s where we’ve all been teaching, learning, holidaying, working, exercising, living. ‘Our house is our world this Very moment’ builds on the multi-category retailer’s ‘Life is this Very moment’ platform launched in October last year.

The ‘Our House’ campaign kicked off on March 1st on Heart, the UK’s biggest commercial radio brand with a nationwide search for families and famous faces to star in a brand-new music video commissioned by Very to debut during Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway on ITV on March 27th. 

The music video will feature households across the country showcasing what has made their homes special over the past 12 months. Participating families will be joined by celebrities including Heart presenters, Kelly Brook, Pandora Christie and Dev Griffin. 

Also taking part is Sophie Ellis-Bextor who, with her husband Richard Jones, will host an exclusive House Party DJ set on her and Very’s channels on TikTok LIVE. This will run before the TV ad at 7.00pm GMT as a pre-launch party, with Sophie hyping the audience up and driving them towards switching onto ITV in time for the ad.

Special guests to the LIVE House Party will include everyone’s favourite families the Saccone Jolys (@jonathanjoly) and The Pelo Fam (@thepelofam), as well as TikTok’s top couple Matthew & Ryan (@matthewandryanuk). 

To boost awareness of the challenge, Grey encouraged TikTokers to participate with a series of TopView - the first video every person that opens the app sees - and In Feed ads for Very over the past four weeks. Grey has worked in partnership with TikTok’s Creative Lab team to develop the creative and assets for the campaign on the platform, as well as delivery of the upcoming TikTok LIVE with Sophie Ellis-Bextor. It has also run an extensive outdoor advertising campaign on Global’s estate to drive engagement and encourage people to tune in to ITV to see the winning performances.

During the recruitment phase, TikTok’s community was invited to submit their own videos set to sections of the Madness track while Heart asked its listeners to submit videos of themselves performing the song. The new music video consists of the best creations submitted. 

Recognising that increased time spent at home can be challenging for those who don’t enjoy the space they live in, Very has partnered with Good Guys Decorating, a London-based decorating firm, to supply a host of home makeovers to families in need. Funding the refurbishments, Very will act as the home makeover sponsor to Good Guys, with the aim of making day-to-day life a little easier for those who need it the most.

Kitchen yoga and bedroom office set-ups have meant much household furniture has been used in unconventional ways, according to Very’s home during lockdown research reveals. Also evident was just how creative Brits have become with their living spaces to pass the time. 

Unlikely at home activities over the past 12 months include: attempting to run an ultra-marathon in the hallway; having a virtual holiday, which involved turning a son’s bedroom into a pretend beach; converting the shed into a casino; erecting a tent up and camping in the living room and turning the hallway into a coffee bar.

Carly O’Brien, chief marketing officer at The Very Group, which operates Very, comments: “Over the past 12 months, there has been a fundamental shift in the way we view our homes. These familiar four walls have become so much more than a place to eat and sleep – kitchens have become discos, gardens have become festivals and living rooms have become fairy castles.

“As a multi-category retailer – we can play a huge part in helping the nation adapt their homes, as our home lives continue to evolve in the future. Nothing could be a truer customer insight right now than ‘Our house is our world this very moment’ and so it was perfectly natural that the famous track 'Our House' by Madness feature front and centre in this campaign.

“We've had plenty of fun creating the campaign and are proud to have teamed up with some famous and familiar faces to reimagine the iconic Madness track 'Our House', giving it a 21st-century twist to signify the change in the role of the home in 2021.” 

Laura Jordan Bambach, president and CCO UK at Grey said: “We’re super pleased to see Our House 2021 go live. After a year of lockdowns, it is a well needed uplifting moment which focuses on the fun we’ve had in our homes, rather than the negatives''.