Bord Gáis Energy and Hive, the leading UK connected home brand have launched a new campaign to highlight the benefits of having a connected home this winter. The two brands, both owned by global and energy services company Centrica, will run concurrent campaign activity across TV, radio, print, digital and Direct Marketing until the end of November, with the aim of introducing the Hive brand and highlighting how Hive products and services make daily living easier.
Four television advertisements will run during the campaign: consisting of two Hive TVCs, as well as a Hive Active Heating version from Bord Gáis Energy, and a 10-second Bord Gáis Energy `tail’.
In the case of Hive, it will run a 30-second television advertisement, introducing the Hive brand, The first ad already ran during the recent GAA All-Ireland Senior Football Final. Under the campaign call to action, ‘Let’s Get Living’, the ad shows the ways that Hive devices – such as the smart thermostat, lights and plugs – make life easier in real situations, by giving customers greater control of their heating, lighting and appliances. A follow-up 30-second Hive advertisement will focus on hero products and services for the winter period.
For its part the Bord Gáis Energy TV campaign will kick off on Monday, October 2nd and focuses on Hive Active Heating, and follows Bord Gáis Energy’s recent theme of taking a humorous look at a typical life event. In this case, it’s one of those occasions where you’re invited to someone’s house, but because the householder hadn’t installed Hive Active Heating, they hadn’t been able to put on the heating before they got home, leading to a cold little boy being unable to “feel my insides”.
Bord Gáis Energy’s 10-second tail’, which will run in conjunction with the Hive brand advertisement, features a Bord Gáis Energy Engineer completing the installation of Hive Active Heating in front of a now clearly delighted customer from the longer version who now has her heating problems solved.
The two brands will also run concurrent campaigns on radio, press and social.
Head of Marketing at Centrica Connected Home, the Centrica business unit behind the Hive brand, Katherine Walker said; “We’re excited to be introducing the full range of Hive Connected Home products and services to Ireland and delighted to see the start of our first above-the-line campaign in this market. Working with our colleagues in Bord Gáis Energy, we’re looking forward to exciting people about what’s possible with connected home technology, bringing to life how the Hive experience makes daily living that little bit easier so we can get on with focusing on the important things in life. That’s what the spirit of ‘Let’s Get Living’ is all about.”
Dermot Mulligan, Acting Marketing Controller with Bord Gáis Energy said; “This latest campaign is a truly exciting one. Together with our colleagues in the Hive team, we’re now introducing the Irish public to a new range of smart products which work seamlessly in harmony with our already popular Hive Active Heating. This campaign will help to drive awareness of the Hive brand and will build on the customer brand empathy around our boiler service engineers and their years of service. The new treatment takes another humorous look at a normal life event and is sure to resonate with viewers, especially coming into the colder winter months.”
Bord Gáis Energy’s media partner in Ireland – MindShare – and Hive’s media partner in the UK – Mediacom – worked in partnership on the media plan.
Bord Gáis Energy’s television ad was developed by Publicis. Director of Publicis, Jimmy Murphy said; “Hive is a really smart family of products for your home and it’s great to showcase the other stuff Bord Gáis Energy can do for their customers. In this campaign, we’ve tried to communicate how simple and helpful Hive services can be in the everyday chaos of family life with the knowing humour that audiences have come to expect from the brand.”
Bord Gáis Energy TV Credits:
Client: Bord Gáis Energy
Agency: Publicis Dublin
Production: Butter
Country: Ireland
Director: Lorcan Finnegan
Executive Creative Director: Ronan Nulty
Art Director: Ross Giles
Copywriter: Peter Dobbyn
Agency Producer: Niamh Skelly
DOP: Theo Garland
Post-production: Screen Scene
Sound Engineer: Will Farrell
Account Director: Eibhín McLoughlin
Account Director: Ruth McCormack
Strategy Director: Jimmy Murphy
