Using emotional storytelling to drive a successful Christmas for Ernest Jones

In a difficult time for the British high street, it’s important for brands to forge distinctive and enticing brand identities which differentiate them from competitors. This is particularly pertinent to the watch & jewellery sectors, where multi-brand retailers struggle to become the go-to destination for products which are ultimately very similar.

We are excited to be working with Ernest Jones on a new brand positioning and creative strategy to help achieve the cut-through that they need in such a cluttered sector. The first output of this work launched during Christmas 2019, with a campaign focused on a cast of real people for the first time in the brand’s history.

Eschewing the cookie-cutter fashion photography we are bombarded with by the jewellery & watch advertisers, the campaign cut straight to the emotion which motivates any gifting purchase. We worked with Real Story Network to find Ernest Jones customers from around the country who have a genuine belief in the emotion and meaning behind Christmas gifts.

While previous Christmas campaigns have focused heavily on engagement rings, we decided to celebrate a diverse set of relationships which encompass both romantic and familial love, across generations. We created a photo-shoot and video series to tell these stories to Ernest Jones’ broad customer base. As a modern brand with a vast product selection, Ernest Jones can help consumers express any form of love a person might feel, so a sense of diversity was important.

The resulting video and stills campaign ran across all of the brand’s channels including paid advertising, e-commerce, CRM, social media and visual merchandising. Ernest Jones saw a successful Christmas period with online sales growing by 15.8% during the 9 weeks leading up to 4th January, while the campaign was live.

The year ahead will see further development of Ernest Jones’ new creative direction, expressing the brand’s updated positioning and keeping its status as a mainstay on the British high street secure.

If you would like to discuss any of the points raised in this article in more detail or if you would like to review your creative strategy more broadly please do get in touch on info@creamuk.com or call us on +44 (0) 203 0114 500