Marks & Spencer’s latest foray into eco realms is aimed squarely at the consumer, marking a development on the retailer’s business-focused Plan A programme.
With Joanna Lumley at the helm of the marketing drive, it urges shoppers to recycle clothes in an initiative with Oxfam. The retailer is throwing its weight behind it with high-visibility in-store materials and a 70-second TV ad that is simply executed and focuses on explaining the endeavour.
The campaign sends out an honourable message – any big retailer encouraging shoppers to recycle must be a good thing – and Lumley is a good choice. Since the actress campaigned for the right for retired Gurkhas to stay in the UK, she has been linked with worthwhile causes, and the association with Oxfam further strengthens M&S’s ethical credentials. The only note that jars is M&S’s term for the endeavour: ‘Shwopping’. A portmanteau of shopping and swapping, it should perhaps be consigned to history, along with other crimes against language such as webinar, advertorial and emoticon.
It’s difficult to be too churlish, however, with M&S being one of the few retailers highlighting environmental issues as part of its overall marketing image. It may also help boost footfall by making it easy for consumers to get rid of unwanted clothes in their wardrobes. A social element, including Twitter activity and a Facebook app, adds another dimension and the eye-catching colour scheme will make it hard for consumers to miss what’s going on.
No comments yet