Since 1884, Marks & Spencer (M&S) has been a staple of the British high street, known for its quality and reliability. But in 2023, it faced the challenge of refreshing its image to attract a more modern audience and reclaim its place in British fashion—all without losing its classic appeal.

Turning to Mother & Mother Design, our goal was to shake off the outdated ‘basic staples’ label and reintroduce M&S as a lively, fashion-forward brand for the modern customer. All starting with an irreverent campaign that played on familiar holiday experiences to keep people cool for summer, featuring the iconic earworm, ‘Pump Up the Jam’.

We saw a disconnect between M&S’ innovative collections and the public’s old-school perception of the retailer. In collaboration with the internal team, we defined four strategic brand behaviours—Insightful, Unexpected, Playful and Elevated—that would breathe new life into our communications. These manifested in reimagined creative direction—a surprising, energetic take on art direction, tone of voice, talent partners and casting. One which clicked with trend-conscious shoppers, going beyond looks to rewrite the new cultural story of the brand.

The turning point came with our eagerly awaited Summer campaign. In true British fashion, we paired high end aesthetics with playful self aware touches, not only showcasing the latest trend-led collections, but also signaling M&S’ new direction.

A sensory takeover of Oxford Circus underground had commuters thinking about holidays. With all of our OOH ads printed on suncream scented paper. The impact was immediate, with the Summer campaign quickly becoming M&S’ most successful yet.