Audis and BMWs seen in Lidl car parks

Posted by Chris Wright, Planning Director, RLA Group

Some of us are (reluctantly) able to admit we saw the last recession, or two. Aldi, Netto and Lidl did well during the last downturn. The team at RLA and the client Lidl saw the opportunity as far back as Autumn 2007 well before Gordon Brown woke up.

The issue with simply championing price is that it was shown via focus group research to devalue both the experience and the perceived value of the brand by creating a stigma of "bargain hunting." The strategy had to address the emotional barriers to shopping at Lidl as well as addressing the target groups’ anxiety and self–esteem.

A Value positioning was clearly the most appropriate but lacked emotion and appeal to an anxious audience. The brief to the creative and media team centred on "pragmatic fun." Humour reduces anxiety and makes a hitherto "last resort" choice more accessible.

The team made a series of low cost TV ads that publicly celebrated bargain hunting rather than frowning upon the individual.

You’re used to shopping at Lidl, aren’t you? was backed by mystery shopping to determine the products that showed outstanding competitive value.

Three months after the campaign sales were up 12% during which time some rather nice cars were seen in the Lidl carparks generating national PR of its’ own.

The quality of the work picked up a Gold and Silver at the CREAM creative awards in the U.K. The Gold was for Best Low Cost TV Commercial and the Silver for Best Broadcast Advertising.

So in the end we created something both cheap and cheerful.