Well, I have to admit I had no idea what kind of bloke Jacamo was for. Until I saw this ad, that is. But even then I didn’t quite get it, so I did some fishing around on Youtube.
Ahh, now I get it. It’s a nudge-nudge, wink-wink way of advertising products for gentlemen of the larger persuasion. ‘Blokes who like to look good’ is secret code for men who find it difficult to find clothes that fit them properly because they are, shall we say, bulky.
But now, thanks to Jacamo’s range of sizes, apparently they can look good too.
I deciphered the plot mainly by looking back at some of the old work featuring plus-sized stand-up comic, Johnny Vegas. Nothing subtle there. The earlier ads were blatant about who Jacamo was talking to.
Clearly, by switching from chunky Johnny to tall, but fit Freddie Flintoff they have changed tack.
I assume they have learned that their customers are not that pleased with their proportions. I’m guessing that whilst Johnny Vegas is happy for us to have a giggle at his expense, it’s unlikely to be true of this particular audience. They’re probably fed up with being the butt of the joke.
Being specific about the content of the ad, I have to say I preferred the honesty and humour of the old campaign to this more clandestine approach.
But I think Freddie is a clever choice of spokesman, given that he is way more of an aspirational ‘big man’ than Johnny V and that he has his own range of clothes. But it’s one thing getting a performing artist like Johnny V to be the spokesperson and quite another to expect a cricket player to morph into Colin Firth (not that the script poses much of a thespian challenge).
I wonder if the commercial would have been more effective if it was devised in a more genuine way and if Freddie could have played a less cheesy role.
Nevertheless, I have no doubt that it’s tough to get the tone of this emotional tightrope just right, so from that point of view I think Jacamo has done well. I bet they sell plus-sized clothes like hot cakes at a Sumo wrestlers congress.
Ahh, now I get it. It’s a nudge-nudge, wink-wink way of advertising products for gentlemen of the larger persuasion. ‘Blokes who like to look good’ is secret code for men who find it difficult to find clothes that fit them properly because they are, shall we say, bulky.
But now, thanks to Jacamo’s range of sizes, apparently they can look good too.
I deciphered the plot mainly by looking back at some of the old work featuring plus-sized stand-up comic, Johnny Vegas. Nothing subtle there. The earlier ads were blatant about who Jacamo was talking to.
Clearly, by switching from chunky Johnny to tall, but fit Freddie Flintoff they have changed tack.
I assume they have learned that their customers are not that pleased with their proportions. I’m guessing that whilst Johnny Vegas is happy for us to have a giggle at his expense, it’s unlikely to be true of this particular audience. They’re probably fed up with being the butt of the joke.
Being specific about the content of the ad, I have to say I preferred the honesty and humour of the old campaign to this more clandestine approach.
But I think Freddie is a clever choice of spokesman, given that he is way more of an aspirational ‘big man’ than Johnny V and that he has his own range of clothes. But it’s one thing getting a performing artist like Johnny V to be the spokesperson and quite another to expect a cricket player to morph into Colin Firth (not that the script poses much of a thespian challenge).
I wonder if the commercial would have been more effective if it was devised in a more genuine way and if Freddie could have played a less cheesy role.
Nevertheless, I have no doubt that it’s tough to get the tone of this emotional tightrope just right, so from that point of view I think Jacamo has done well. I bet they sell plus-sized clothes like hot cakes at a Sumo wrestlers congress.
Brand strategy verdict: 4 out of 10
From a strategic point of view, I do admire entrepreneurial businesses like these – ones that identify a niche and go after it aggressively with advertising.
| Adwatch (Sep 26) Top 20 recall: Jacamo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latest rank | Sep-19 | Brand | Agency/TV Buyer | Recall % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | (–) | Comparethe market.com |
VCCP/Zenith Optimedia |
53 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | (–) | Asda | Saatchi & Saatchi/Carat |
52 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3= | (–) | Argos | CHI&Partners/ Mindshare |
44 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3= | (–) | Homebase | Leo Burnett/ Mindshare |
44 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | (–) | Flora | Adam & Eve DDB/ Mindshare |
41 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | (–) | Comet | Euro RSCG London/ ZenithOptimedia |
35 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | (11=) | BT | Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO/Maxus |
32 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | (–) | Cesar | Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO/ ZenithOptimedia |
31 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | -13 | The Co- operative |
TBWA\Manchester/ PHD Rocket |
28 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | (–) | Jacamo | The Gate Films/Carat |
27 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | (–) | Green Giant | The collaborators/ Universal McCann |
26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | (–) | The Sun | Grey London/M-SIX | 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13= | (–) | Harveys | HMDG/Mediavest | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13= | (–) | B&Q | McCann-Erickson/ Zenith Optimedia |
24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15= | (–) | Dreams | Re:production/ Starcom |
23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15= | (31=) | Morrisons | DLKW Lowe/ Vizeum |
23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | (–) | Danone Actimel | Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe Y&R/MEC |
22 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | (–) | The Trainline | DLKW Lowe/ Vizeum |
21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | (16=) | Currys & PC World | M&C Saatchi/ Walker Media |
20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | (–) | Hugo Boss (Nuit Pour Femme Fragance) |
Grey London/ Starcom |
18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Webwatch (Sep 26) Top 20 recall: Jacamo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latest rank | Sep-19 | Brand | Agency/TV Buyer | Recall % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | (–) | BT | Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO/Maxus |
27 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2= | -6 | ING Direct | BMB/PHD | 23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2= | (–) | Direct Line |
Geronimo/ |
23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | (–) | Santander | WCRS/Carat | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | (10=) | Mullen, Glue/ Essence Digital |
20 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | (–) | eBay | In-house/Carat | 19 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | (–) | Three | BPL/Mindshare | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | (–) | Virgin Media | Rapp/Fifty6 | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | (8=) | Tesco | The Red Brick Road/Initiative |
16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | (–) | First4Lawyers | Prego/In-house | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11= | (–) | LoveFilm | In-house/ In-house |
13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11= | (–) | Orange | Poke/MEC | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | (–) | Barclays | Dare/Maxus | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | (34=) | Volkswagen (Up) | Tribal London/ Mediacom |
10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15= | (–) | Radox | WCRS/Mindshare | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15= | (23=) | Heineken | Iris/Mediavest | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17= | (–) | Totally Money | In-house/In-house | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17= | (–) | Centrepoint | The Good Agency + Inspired Fundraising/Starcom |
7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19= | (–) | Acer | Mother/DWA | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19= | (–) | Head & Shoulders |
Yahoo/In-house | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||