How B&Q brought back an iconic line

Overview

B&Q is the UK’s leading DIY retailer. Well known and loved in Britain, but as other players move into the market, it’s important that they continue to be the preferred choice by the market.

Challenge

The main challenge was to continue to grow brand preference, and do so by reminding the nation that B&Q empower them to improve their homes however they require. Bringing back B&Q’s historic slogan “You can do it” and loading it with emotion and importance.

Creative Strategy

The work was developed to empower the nation. Focused on silencing can’t and starting action, by saying loudly, against a world obsessed with can't, that you can do it.

It’s a bold outdoor suite confident in its design – stripped back using the brand’s iconic orange against dramatised images of B&Q’s products paired with witty copy and clever art direction.

The work features close ups of everyday DIY items photographed as large eerie objects, acting metaphorically as people’s DIY doubts and fears. The tools are styled and shot to be perceived as heavy and intimidating – but the hopeful copy juxtaposes this reality.

Execution

This campaign launched nationally across the UK in February of 2024. Spring is an incredibly important time in the DIY calendar, so B&Q launched the work to run prior to the change of the seasons to be front of mind for customers as they entered the home improvement mindset.

There were 12 individual executions across digital and print media: 48 and 6 sheets nationally, as well as large format sites in major cities. Each execution was meticulously planned to run at locations depending on dwell time.

The work looked to combine insightful copy and dramatised images of B&Q’s products, all stripped back on the brand’s iconic orange for maximum impact.

Results

While official results are yet to be published, the work has been widely celebrated on social media, and positively received by B&Q customers & colleagues. The spot proved to be so popular that it was shared organically across design blogs.