Shepherds Friendly marks 200 years with ad campaign

A programme of events is planned throughout the year to mark the anniversary

Shepherds Friendly has expanded its Mutual Moments advertising campaign to highlight its 200th anniversary, combining consumer advertising with its first linear TV activity as the mutual society celebrates its bicentennial this year.

The campaign reinforces Shepherds Friendly's focus on supporting members through major life events, including buying a first home, starting a family and planning significant personal milestones. Following an intermediary-focused campaign launched in February, the company introduced a consumer billboard campaign, supported by radio and Meta advertising that began in June. Over a six-week period, 10 billboards across the UK generated 46.4 million impacts.

Campaign highlights 200-year milestone

The Manchester-based mutual society will celebrate 200 years of providing financial products and services to its members on Christmas Day. A programme of events is planned throughout the year to mark the anniversary.

The billboard, Meta and radio campaigns all include messaging linked to the bicentennial. One radio advertisement features the voiceover: "Whatever you're dreaming of for your future, having a plan helps and we've been helping people plan for 200 years."

TV advertising expands media mix

Another radio advert follows a man moving into his first home and uses a sporting theme alongside the slogan Kick off your future, which also featured during Shepherds Friendly's pitch-side advertising campaign at the Challenge Cup. The radio and Meta campaigns will continue until the end of November.

Alongside the bicentennial campaign, Shepherds Friendly has added linear TV to its media schedule for the first time while continuing its video-on-demand activity, which now includes ITVX. The company's video-on-demand advertising generated more than one million impacts in May.

First linear TV campaign builds on previous activity

The first phase of the linear TV campaign ran throughout April on live national daytime programming across Sky channels, delivering 12.8 million impacts. A second phase is scheduled to run for eight weeks during September and October.

The wider campaign follows Shepherds Friendly's first television advertising campaign last year, which centred on the Milestone Moments theme.

Zac Chetwynd, Head of Marketing, Shepherds Friendly: "After the success of the brand campaign last year, it's exciting to roll out our latest multichannel campaign referencing Shepherd Friendly's 200th anniversary, and also to make our first move into linear TV. While the messaging remains the same in that we're here to support our members at every stage of their lives, we wanted to demonstrate our extensive history of doing so and we could think of no better way of doing this than leaning into our own milestone."

www.shepherdsfriendly.co.uk

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