Image from the Dark Desires campaign
The latest company to cash in on the 50 Shades of Grey hype is the Leeds-headquartered brand consultancy Propaganda which has retained a contract with high street adult products retailer Ann Summers.
The deal comes after several years of work by the agency which included the pre-Valentine’s campaign, Dark Desires, which launched online and in their UK retail stores earlier this month.
Propaganda was initially appointed by Ann Summers in 2013 to report on how the brand could grow.
Talking about the latest news, Propaganda planning director Julian Horberry said: “Ann Summers is an iconic name in British retail and we’ve been working hard to ensure they retain their rightful position at the forefront of their sector.
“Alongside the board, we’ve introduced steps to ensure the business is in a good position in the modern retail landscape, through a mix of strong business strategy and engaging creative that identifies with their audience. We’ll look to accelerate this work over the next year, with more bold tactics, backed up by our strategic market insight.”
Propaganda said its campaign work had helped achieve a ten per cent rise in like-for-like sales over Christmas, out-performing many of its high street rivals.
The agency’s latest work for Ann Summers takes inspiration from the themes portrayed in the 50 Shades of Grey film, but instead of the submissive female character portrayed on screen, it echoes Ann Summers’ defining message of female empowerment.
Ann Summers MD Vanessa Gold said: “The decision to extend this working relationship was one that came easily to us. We look forward to building on this successful partnership as we continue to develop the Ann Summers brand.”
