Case Study
Forterra
Case Study
A creative and compelling campaign for London Brick’s 140th anniversary
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Forterra is one of the largest manufacturers of building products in the UK. The company employs around 1,800 people across its network of 18 manufacturing sites, producing a wide range of materials including bricks, blocks and paving. Forterra’s brands enjoy a long pedigree and have developed a broad customer base amongst builders’ merchants. The company manufactures a wide range of trusted products that are used extensively throughout the construction sector. Their well-known brands include Thermalite, London Brick, Ecostock, Cradley, Formpave and Jetfloor.
The original London Brick celebrated 140 years since its first production in 2017. Historically this iconic brick was used in the construction of approximately 23% of England’s housing and has helped construct many landmark buildings. Today, London Brick is used in the residential renovation, maintenance and improvement market.
Forterra approached PDS with a brief to develop a multi-channel marketing campaign designed to mark London Brick’s 140th anniversary.
The Forterra marketing team wanted PDS to deliver all campaign elements to ensure quality and consistency. They briefed PDS to design, create and deliver a compelling campaign to meet their strategic marketing objectives. PDS was also required to produce a wide range of print items and coordinate the logistics for over 1,000 consignments of materials for each merchant depot.
PDS conducted in-depth research into the Forterra business, the heritage London Brick brand and its target market. Against a tight deadline, PDS built a proposition encompassing a through-the-line campaign designed to deliver Forterra’s objectives.
Builders who bought London Brick were encouraged to enter a prize draw to win a £5k holiday plus hundreds of other prizes. They were also invited to become London Brick brand ambassadors by uploading photos of their building projects online.
Merchants were incentivised to encourage participation with their reward scheme based on revenues and engagement.
Tactics included inventive point-of-sale materials, a range of branded merchandise, and a high-profile advertising campaign that included online and social media elements. The preferred campaign concept focused on the brick’s unique indentation, known as a ‘frog’, bringing to life the line: ‘If you can’t see our name, it’s not the same’.
Jayne Gowan (Relationship Manager), David Nelson (Lead Creative)
Relationship Manager
Lead Creative
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The impact of the campaign was to create increased brand awareness and boost positive perceptions of the London Brick brand. This was achieved within a reduced timescale because all the elements of the campaign were delivered by PDS. From the design of the original concept to the production and delivery of campaign materials and merchandise, PDS was able to oversee the campaign throughout its entire journey.
“Our key objective was to create a stand-out campaign to celebrate an important anniversary for our London Brick brand. PDS were able to deliver a choice of excellent creative concepts and delivered the project effectively from start to finish. We continue to receive positive feedback on the campaign from within our networks and very much enjoyed working with the team at PDS.”
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