Matalan has revealed itself as the brand behind Believe, a new integrated campaign featuring a social film by Bray Leino centred on a hand-painted mural in Liverpool.
Launching nationwide over the weekend just passed (12-13 September), Believe invites shoppers to take a fresh look at Matalan’s clothing offer. It forms part of a wider programme of change across its products and stores, as well as the way it communicates with customers.
Aimed at trend-conscious women in their thirties, Believe focuses on fashionable clothing that offers quality at a fair price. The campaign is intended to change perceptions of Matalan and encourage more shoppers to consider the retailer and visit its stores.
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The film follows a model wearing Matalan through Liverpool, cutting between details of her outfit and Believe billboards before she reaches the hand-painted mural on Colquitt Street. Featuring an oversized loafer alongside fashion portraits, the artwork carries the Believe lettering. The model spray-paints the Matalan name onto it, revealing the retailer behind the imagery, before the film closes with “Believe it’s Matalan”.
Directed by Madeleine Penfold through Manchester’s Chief Productions, the film combines handheld street footage with flash photography and a fast-paced edit, taking its visual cues from fashion editorials.
Bray Leino’s contribution spans elements of the social strategy and creative, including the mural reveal film, with Matalan’s in-house team also developing social content. The film is planned to run for up to 45 seconds in vertical and square formats, with four weeks of paid social usage alongside organic social activity.
Harman Randhawa, deputy managing director at Bray Leino said: “The reveal gives people a moment to rethink what they expect from Matalan. We wanted the clothes to catch their eye and make them curious about who was behind the campaign. Bringing the mural into the film lets us carry that idea from the street into social, with a simple payoff when the Matalan name appears.”
Sarah Welsh, chief product, brand and commercial officer at Matalan, added: “This season is about changing the perception of what Matalan can be. We’ve taken a much more directional approach to design, playing with stronger silhouettes, richer textures and the trends we know our customers are excited about, while keeping everything wearable and effortless. The result is a Matalan that feels fresh and contemporary, but still delivers the quality and value our customers know us for.
“But the change goes well beyond the clothes – we’re investing in our stores, visual merchandising and digital experience too, so that the whole Matalan experience feels as fresh, considered and fashion-forward as the collection itself.”
