Cheeky Dixons

This new advertising campaign from online electricals retailer Dixons.co.uk caught my eye on the tube the other day.

At first glance, the poster looks a lot like an advert for John Lewis, emulating the department store's very recognisable typeface, colours and style. By the time you have read to the end of the poster, Dixons.co.uk has taken over.

It's a cleverly written poster, because this is the way many people end up purchasing electricals these days - checking out the product first in a store and then buying it for a much cheaper price online. It also never mentions any other brand name, but most people will be left in no doubt of the stores which it refers to. Though ironically the campaign demonstrates the power of the John Lewis branding - the Dixons branding in comparison looks weak!

The only downside of the campaign for Dixons is that some people might not realise that the store is now online only - Currys Digital was the brand which replaced all of Dixons' high street stores in 2007 (my Mum being one example of such a person!). In which case the advert seems to say that Dixons' staff are untrained and not "well brought up"!

Perhaps if more care was taken to build Dixons.co.uk as an online only brand when the rebranding took place, this new campaign would be more successful.

Retail Week article on the campaign