Crown Paints has appointed independent creative agency Dinosaur as its lead creative agency.
The Manchester-based firm will be responsible for covering both the retail and trade divisions after winning a competitive pitch.
Three years on from a campaign with Cheshire agency driven which sparked Advertising Standards Authority and sexism accusations, Crown is partnering with Dinosaur in a bid to build cultural relevance, particularly among under-40s. This, it says, will involve transforming familiarity into preference, while maintaining equal focus on both trade and retail audiences.
Dinosaur was awarded the work after demonstrating its ability to ‘unleash the spirit of the challenger brand’, and move Crown from known to chosen with digital-first, social-led ideas that resonate with trend-driven millennials and younger audiences, while still engaging the professional trade community.
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The appointment represents another major win for Dinosaur, strengthening its roster of national challenger brands with bold creative ambitions.
Amanda Bolton, Marketing Director at Crown Paints, said: “We were looking for an agency that could think brand-first, bring real creative confidence and energy to our business, and treat trade and retail with equal respect. Dinosaur stood out with their fresh thinking, cultural fluency and challenger spirit, which is exactly what Crown Paints needs to take the next step in our ambitious growth plans.”
Mark Beaumont, Chief Creative Officer at Dinosaur, said: “Crown Paints is a household name, but being known isn’t the same as being chosen. Our job now is to inject Crown with creative confidence, unlock relevance with new audiences, and help it win a bigger share of mind – and basket – across retail and trade.”
In 2022, the Darwen-based paint company found itself at the centre of a social media storm and facing dozens of ASA complaints over its Life Stories campaign. One ad told the story, in song, of a young couple’s four-year relationship, and how they are now expecting a baby even though both have historically been unsure about entering into parenthood.
The line that has caused particular offence reveals that “now a baby’s coming and they don’t know what it is. Hannah’s hoping for a girl, Dave’s just hoping that it’s his.”
Comedian Jenny Eclair was among those demanding for action against the ad. She Tweeted: “I find this massively offensive – WTAF,” adding that the ad implied Hannah had “conned a man into fatherhood.”
Crown Paints said in a statement that the ad was “intended to be a humorous celebration of special life moments that prompt people to paint their homes, in this case focusing on Hannah and Dave, a happy couple expecting a baby together. Whilst the ad has been broadly well received, we appreciate that people have differing views on humour and we apologise if any of the lyrics have caused offence.”
