The retailer launched its new visual identity this week, and a new TV spot from Mother, celebrating journeys, debuts tomorrow (8 June).
The relaunch comes after in-house research into how the Halfords brand, which has existed for more than a century, was perceived. This found that while the brand was well recognised, people often lacked knowledge of the range of products and services it offered, according to marketing director Karen Bellairs.
"We’ve learnt that consumers really know Halfords, but when we go a bit deeper, we start to see that they don’t really know why the brand exists, the part it plays in their lives," she said.
"Our marketing spend has been very driven by price and promotions, and we’re trying to move that forward into really celebrating the brand."
The research threw up the idea of the journey – one that Bellairs said Halfords could really "own", because of its involvement in so many aspects of travel and transport.
"We learnt that we can be the difference between a good and a bad journey," she said. "Consumers’ time is really precious. People spend a lot of time on their journeys, whether that’s bikes or cars, and actually they really want to feel in control of those."
Bellairs said the new platform also brought greater consistency to Halfords’ communications.
"Our marketing has been kind of schizophrenic in terms of look and feel over the years – we haven’t had this kind of brand platform before," she said. "With that comes consistency, creative glue, the right look and feel. This is a big step change for us."
The initial ad will be followed a few weeks later by a series of 10-second ads for Halfords’ services, such as its free car and bike checks, which Bellairs said would continue the personality of the first ad.
