Wickes debuts dog brand character in TV and social push

In the 30-second spot, the Border terrier is shown running past an old English sheepdog, used by Dulux as a brand mascot, as the voiceover says: "At Wickes, we think that bigger doesn't always mean better".

The terrier then runs into a house to watch a tradesman painting a wall, while the voiceover claims that independent tests showed tradesmen preferred its Wickes trade vinyl matt brilliant white emulsion, "to the equivalent product from the brand leader".

The ad ends with an on-screen pointer to the dog’s presence on social media, with Wickesy taking over Wickes' Facebook page and Twitter handle and getting his own section of the Wickes website.

The campaign was created by MWO, which has worked on the Wickes account since 2008, and the ad aired last night (10 September) in 'The Professionals' on ITV4 as part of a media plan handled by Carat.

Tony Holdway, brand director at Wickes, said: "What better way to encourage consumers of the quality of our paints than to make clear that for over two thirds of tradesmen, ours is their preferred brand? As for Wickesy, he is a very welcome addition to our Wickes team."

The social media element is implemented by Jam, which was appointed as Wickes first social media agency in March. In May it launched a Facebook app allowing people to create a shareable digital portfolio of their DIY projects.

The campaign was conceived by Mark Hurst, Martyn Smith and Jo Webb and the TV ad was directed by Albert and produced by Thomas Thomas.

This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk