Checkers Steals Campaign Tagline?
In July 2008 UK-based retailer Aldi launched a campaign with the tagline “Don’t change your lifestyle, change your supermarket”. Sweet.
Here’s a vid of one of the campaign ads:
At the same time last year, here in sunny SA, ex-creative director of BBDO Cape Town, Andrew Brand, and founding partner of Berry Bush, Lewin de Villiers launched NINETY9CENTS and announced that they would be taking over the Checkers account from 1 September.
The really interesting part is that Checkers have just launched a nationwide campaign with the tagline, “Don’t change your lifestyle, change your supermarket”. Little too close for comfort in my humble opinion.
Listen to it here: Checkers “Don’t change your lifestyle” radio spot.
Update:
I received a response via email from Andrew Brand this afternoon (05/05/09) – it reads as follows:
Hi Mike
I saw your blog regarding the “Don’t change your lifestyle, change your supermarket” tagline, and would like to respond.
The new Checkers advertising campaign, which started flighting in April, showcases the brand as one that’s ideally suited to answering to consumer’s needs, particularly during the current financial situation. The campaign sets up the proposition of “Better Living” solutions, showcasing various product and category offerings in which Checkers offers exceptional quality and value.
The commercials end with the logical tactical proposition of “Don’t change your lifestyle, change your supermarket” which succinctly implies that the consumer still has a choice in these current tough economic times – that they can still afford great products at an affordable price at Checkers.
After the idea was pitched we researched the “Better Living” and “Don’t change your lifestyle, change your supermarket” propositions and found that both phrases were already being extensively used internationally with the “Don’t change your supermarket…” phrase being used by Aldi Supermarket Group in the United Kingdom.
After discussions with our clients, it was agreed that although the line had already been used by Aldi, it was still the most succinct way to express the desired sentiment and met the tactical requirements of the campaign. It’s not unusual for certain phrases to enter the lexicon at similar times for similar brands or categories – over the years many brands across the world have positioned themselves similarly.
The television campaign bears absolutely no creative similarity to that of Aldi’s (bar the tagline in question) nor any other local or international supermarket chain, and the response to the advertisements in the marketplace has been fantastic thus far, with Checkers demonstrating their positioning of being “better and better” to an ever-growing, and increasingly loyal, customer base.
I appreciate the opportunity to give perspective on our position, and wish you and your blog all the success in the future.
Kind regards
Andrew Brand
Managing Director, NINETY9CENTS
I guess that’s fair enough – kudos to Andrew for the transparent response.
Popularity: 16% [?]
Hmmmm! Interesting hey! Thanks Mike….
What are the legal implications of this? Any word from 99c on the matter?
I was ready to comment very sensibly on this phenomenon of South African organisations “quite co-incidentally” ending up with a substantially similar logo or tagline to an overseas brand (because this is not the first instance we’ve had, and it baffles my mind that they (a) don’t see anything wrong with it in a CREATIVE sense, never mind an ethical sense and (b) think no-one will ever notice – or (c) simply fail to do their research properly), but then I watched a video in which the protagonist melted chocolate bunnies with cream and brandy, and dipped hot cross buns in the mixture, and all rational thought left me.
@Bilal none yet, but would love to hear from them
@Kerry-Anne LOL
This was very interesting to read and I do remember Checkers doing something like that, not that I would ever shop there.
Well I am pleasantly surprised at the response from Andrew Brand from Ninety9cents. Did not know that people can be so forthright and honest in the CT advertising scene anymore.
Kudos to him indeed
And why, Amy, would you never shop at Checkers? You exclusively a Woollies habitue? Never soil the undersides of your brogues with anything other than Italian tile? What a chump.
Buy your stuff from the place that gives you the best value, not some branding hard-on. Buy your dry/packaged goods from Shoprite (do you really care what shop sold you the Sunlight liquid?), they’re the cheapest. Buy your regular groceries from Checkers because they’re cheaper, stores are cleaner than rip-off PnP and their staff isn’t surly. Get your luxury foods from Giovannis because they’re often cheaper than Woolworths.
God but snobby twits make my teeth ache.
Thanks for all that information Roger, and I do hear what you are saying, the reason why I don’t shop at Checkers is that when I was younger it was my first job and seeing what happens in the back ground that shoppers don’t see, thats what put me off big time, so that would be the reason I wont shop there, I am sure that they have upped their stores and I give them credit for that but there really is no changing my mind thanks
Regardless of whether the client agrees to it or not, you could at least come up with another tagline. Just my opinion
Type your comment here…
Thanks Mike,
Feel a bit cheated because I was raving the other day about what a brilliant campaign Checkers have and that they have really hit the nail on the head with their tag line.
Overall I think Checkers made a good call by appointing NINETY9CENTS….
My question to ALL is as follows:
Why does Shoprite/Checkers do business with Zapop? I’ve heard that Zapop supplies Shoprite/Checkers with illegal music @ store level. What I don’t get is, what’s SAMRO doing about this.
I’ve also heard MANY BAD things about the CEO – Riaan L
Please comment.
Natasha,
Seeing that your questions goes out to all: ZaPOP does not supply any music to Shoprite or Checkers it does however use a company called Radio Retail to supply them music. All the music used by Radio Retail is available in the store for sale.
If you are saying that they are supplying Checkers with illegal music I am assuming you mean that Checkers is also selling illegal music. Fat chance!
If you have an axe to grind with their CEO choose your angle more wisely and do it on another forum.
Jonathan