P&G seeks emotional connection with 'MyAriel' campaign

The campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi, marks a significant departure from the category’s tried-and-tested approach of demo-led, proof-of-performance TV campaigns.

The brand, which continues to play number two to rival Unilever’s Persil, is to put consumers and their garment stories at the centre of its advertising, using the strapline "That’s my Ariel, what’s yours?".

The campaign breaks on Monday (15 October) and includes a series of TV ads that focus on people’s relationships with their clothes. One execution sees a wife ill at ease with her husband’s decision to wear garish clothes for his golf practice.

The wife states she had hoped that the colours would fade over time, but Ariel has kept them bright.

The campaign includes heavy digital investment and coincides with a new Facebook page for Ariel, which will house further ads as part of the work. It will be supported by print and PR activity.

Ian Morley, fabric and homecare marketing director, P&G UK & Ireland, told Campaign the new direction for the brand in the UK aims to build a "more intimate and emotional connection" with consumers, placing an emphasis on the use of social media to speak to people "in a more relevant way".

The work is the UK-specific leg of a global strategy that is being rolled out across the US, Spain, France and India.

This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk