Currys Invites You to Step Into the Future

As the new school year approaches, Currys – the UK’s largest tech retailer – has launched a campaign that highlights the extraordinary lengths its colleagues will go to ensure every customer goes home with the right laptop for their needs.

The campaign, created with AMV BBDO and Spark Foundry, addresses a growing trend in consumer behaviour, as people hold onto their laptops for longer, often missing out on the latest advancements in technology.

However, no matter how far customers are stuck in the past, Currys’ helpful colleagues will always be on hand to guide them into the future. This promise is dramatised in a series of lively historical spoofs that see customers arriving in the store straight out of different bygone eras. The appearance of Georgians, Vikings and Knights does not phase the Currys colleagues one bit – but the age of their laptops certainly does.

In Currys’ trademark humorous style, the committed colleagues disappear from the screen and only to instantly return, dressed in the costume of the same period as the customer. Fluent in everything from Old Norse to Georgian etiquette, Currys colleagues translate tech specs into terms each time-travelling customer can understand - giving them compelling reasons to upgrade, while making the benefits of new technology clear.

Once the customers of yesteryear see the wonder of the new machine, they are instantly pulled back into the modern day, while the colleagues revert to their more familiar Currys uniforms. Meanwhile, items from the past – like the knight in shining armour’s horse - are visibly escorted out in the background.

“People are holding onto their laptops longer and missing out on the amazing tech innovations in the market. We wanted to show that Currys is here to help people get with the times - whether that means upgrading their device or simply understanding what’s new,” said Harriet Gorman, Currys’ advertising manager.

“Currys aims to be the go-to destination for laptop upgrades, and we've brought that to life with a campaign that’s as imaginative and memorable as our customer experience. And alongside the usual chaos of shooting in a live retail store, we threw in a dog and a horse for good measure.”

AMV BBDO creative directors, Jez Tribe and Dave Westland added, “Most people have a laptop for somewhere between five and six years before they think of upgrading. In that time, the tech has moved on massively. So, we’re simply playing with the exaggerated feeling that those old laptops seem like they’re from a bygone era.”

The campaign will roll out across TV, online video platforms and cinemas this August. There are three spots in the series, each one demonstrating the product benefits of one of three brands – Samsung, Lenovo and HP.

This is the latest instalment of the ongoing Beyond Techspectations brand platform, which has seen ROI supercharged for the brand. Along with this, the work has pushed Currys to the #1 spot for knowledgeable and helpful staff, made it the #1 preference, and the campaign work has become #1 for spontaneous brand awareness.