House of Fraser work to boost premium position

by Jemima Bokaie, Marketing 28-May-08, 09:09

House of Fraser, the department store chain, is stepping up its marketing activity in an effort to take the brand further upmarket. The retailer is paving the way for the launch of an autumn ad campaign intended to revitalise the brand's image and position it as the leading premium department store in the UK and Ireland.

The campaign is being created by DLKW, which won the retailer's £7m advertising account last week.
The agency won the business following a final pitch against Adam & Eve, RPM Beechwood and incumbent Hooper Galton. St Luke's was knocked out of the running at an earlier stage.

The activity will feature model Yasmin Le Bon, who was introduced as the face of the brand in its spring/summer ad campaign, which was created by Hooper Galton.

Those ads, which carried the strapline 'Temptation on every level', showed the model wearing various House of Fraser outfits, accompanied by lines including 'I only came out for a lipstick' and 'When the world is flat, I'll buy sensible shoes'.
The autumn work will feature campaigns for House of Fraser's fashion ranges, which include the Linea and Untold brands, as well as advertising for House of Fraser stores nationwide.
The chain is spending £50m on opening two stores and revamping nine others this year. 'We want to make the brand premium but accessible,' said brand director Matt Chambers.
The additional stores will open in Bristol and in Westfield, the £1.6bn West London shopping centre due to open later this year.
House of Fraser has 61 UK stores and an ecommerce site that has been in operation since last September.