Howard Fretten

That’s Comet Sense

When Mike Sands and I looked after the Comet business at Saatchis it was continually outspent by its rivals Currys, Dixons and PC World.

This was at a time when the electrical retail category was one where whoever shouted loudest won.  Pages and pages of offers, deals and sales, hectoring TV ads, yelling radio; it was noisy and irritating and people were getting fed up with the racket.

We wondered whether whispering rather shouting might make people stop, listen and lean forward. 

It did.

The insight that drove the campaign was very simple – you’re more likely to listen to a friend’s recommendation than a salesman.

We took this insight and developed a quieter, more considered tone of voice, speaking gently and more conversationally, like real people, making a very simple point in every ad.

The point in essence was ‘if you don’t consider Comet you might be making a mistake’.

This thought was ‘Comet Sense’.

And these TV spots, directed sparingly by Chris Watson, capture the essence of that thought.