Feature: Brand profile: More than monkey business

Unilever’s PG Tips continues to drive sales through classic in-store promotions as well as high-tech marketing formats and TV advertising

PG Tips is one of those iconic British brands – loved by the nation not just because of its tea but because of its cheeky chimp TV ads that most of us grew up with. Created by ad agency Davidson Pearce Berry and Spottiswoode way back in the 50s, they remain one of the most popular commercials in the history of ad-land.

But the brand can also boast some impressive below-the-line marketing with some classic sales promotion campaigns under its belt, not least last year’s in-store give-away of mini Monkey toys linked to the new Monkey and Al TV commercials. This simple bit of SP secured a 200 per cent sales uplift in the first four weeks.

It all began nearly 140 years ago when PG tips was founded by Arthur Brooke, who opened his first teashop in Manchester. Brooke’s big break came in 1870 when he secured a bulk tea order from a grocer. Although he showed a flair for business the same cannot be said for his first stab at brand marketing – in the 30s he launched into the UK tea market under the name of “Pre-Gest-Tee” (suggesting if drunk before food it could aid digestion). Luckily grocers soon abbreviated it to PG and later the company added “tips” because only the top leaves from the tea plant were used.

Today the tea category is very heavily promoted and, like many modern-day brands, PG Tips is looking to fully integrate its campaigns using several consumer channels from TV, radio and digital work to in-store and promotional marketing as well as PR. Its current ad agency, Mother, created the award-winning Monkey and Al TV commercials which have proved a clever modernisation of the much-loved but inevitably dated chimps.

In 2007, Unilever UK relaunched the brand with the aim of positioning tea as a healthy, natural product and this year is investing £12 million in marketing, with a chunk of that budget going below the line.

A major element is the brand’s tie-up with the Rainforest Alliance which ensures that by 2010 the tea inside every bag of PG Tips is sourced in a sustainable way. To mark this, Monkey took to the silver screen and starred in his very own short film, A Tale of Two Continents. The film was previewed at an exclusive premiere event in Leicester Square and run in front of family feature films over Easter.

Advertised in cinema foyers, it invited film-goers to enter a competition to win a cuddly Monkey in his explorer outfit. Monkey’s official movie site was set up with the trailer, competitions and a cinema finder plus a computer game.

Dovetailing neatly into all this activity was a value-added pack promotion that launched in April on packs of 160 with the offer of a limited-edition DVD starring Monkey in the full-length film plus outtakes and a downloadable poster together with a souvenir tea towel.

Many brands claim to integrate their marketing but PG Tips is one of the few that does it well. The brand is worth £134 million at retail and is growing by a healthy 3.5 per cent. But it is also aware that it needs to be ahead of its game as the overall tea market has seen a decline in consumption over recent years and a rise in drinks that are perceived to be healthier or trendier by young people, such as fruit juice. It is an issue that needs to be addressed, particularly as the reality that tea has health benefits is becoming lost among consumers.

PG Tips is one of those brands that has pulled off successful advertising and successful promotional marketing at the same time. It has not pulled back from the classic in-store value-added promotions in favour of newer higher-tech formats, and it has continued to flourish, bucking the market trend.

It has been extremely clever in taking its image to the next stage with Monkey and Al and using this through all the marketing disciplines, maintaining mass consumer appeal and recreating a fun modern brand. Monkey is a great communication vehicle who appeals to young and old, with Monkey and Al increasing the popularity of PG Tips among younger consumers.

According to senior brand manager Nicola Wells: “Monkey is a great character to work with. Monkey’s personality fits well with the brand and he allows us to convey important messages in a humorous and engaging way. And of course everyone loves Monkey.”

Brand CV

1930s PG Tips launched in UK.

1950s First PG Tips “chimps” ad

1960 PG Tips tea bag launched

1984 PG Tips owner Brooke Bond bought by Unilever

1996 PG Tips “pyramid” teabag comes to market

2007 Monkey becomes the new face of PG Tips

2008 PG Tips partners Rainforest Alliance