Saatchis uses an unusual slant to kick off 9feet.com campaign

9feet.com, the outdoor pursuits e-commerce company, has appointed

Saatchi & Saatchi to handle its pounds 4 million launch campaign

following a four-way pitch.

The UK launch this spring will be followed later in the year by a

roll-out into France and Germany, making the site the first Europe-wide

online retailer of active sports products. Media planning will be

handled by Saatchis and buying will be through Acumen.

As well as offering online sales, the site presents independent advice

about equipment, events and places to walk, climb, ride, surf and

ski.

The pounds 4 million marketing budget will largely be spent in the UK

and will include sponsorship, direct mail, online, poster and press

activity.

Tom Hartley, the marketing director of 9feet, said: ’We are consciously

trying to avoid the pitfalls that other consumer dotcoms have fallen

into - millions spent on advertising for paltry revenues. Instead, we’ve

worked with Saatchis to devise an unusual campaign both in terms of the

brand building strategy and the advertising execution.’

The first work will run in specialist sports titles to be followed by

activity in the men’s style press.

Carrying the tagline ’as seriously into the outdoors as you are’, the

ads eschew the creative style of work running in the sector. Instead of

focusing on the scenery and the athleticism of the models, it looks at

what the enthusiasts leave at home - a half-empty fridge, a

half-decorated living room and an unruly garden.

Hartley added: ’Most enthusiasts are heading off to the Peak District

for the weekend, not to the High Sierras - the campaign acknowledges

this and celebrates it.’

The copywriter on the campaign was Mike Sutherland and the art director

was Anthony Nelson.

This article was first published on Campaign