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PowerGen is to advertise on TV for the first time as it launches a

major branding campaign this week, reminding consumers that it dominates

the electricity market, in the run-up to final deregulation this

year.

The pounds 7m campaign, created by Saatchi & Saatchi, attempts to make

consumers think about electricity as a product rather than as an

’invisible’ service.

It carries the slogan ’If only our product wasn’t invisible’, showing a

production line churning out mythical boxes of electricity which end up

at a supermarket checkout.

Press ads will run with the line ’The power behind the power’.

Fraser Hardie, the company’s recently appointed international

communications and media adviser, said that 77% of British consumers

know of PowerGen but do not know what it does. Therefore, the primary

aim of the campaign will be to raise awareness of the company’s

activities.

The two-year advertising drive is part of a wider marketing campaign,

involving a new call centre, PR work, sponsorships and the setting up of

new IT systems to cope with the changes. PowerGen is also developing

marketing partnerships with regional electricity generators.

PowerGen’s sponsorship of ITV weather bulletins will continue and other

sponsorships are to follow.

The government announced last week that the final phase of deregulation

has been postponed from April to September. This leaves PowerGen, the

only national brand, with the monopoly.

However, by the end of the year it will be competing against The Energy

Group, National Power, British Gas and Scottish Power.