Royal London puts customers in charge with new ‘Works For You’ campaign

• A bold new campaign brings customer ownership to life, showing what it really means to work for customers

Today the UK's largest customer-owned life, pensions and investment company, Royal London, launches its new brand positioning and integrated campaign ‘Works For You’, created with VCCP.

This marks a pivotal moment in how Royal London shows up – putting its customer-owned difference front and centre. ‘Works For You’ emphasises how it doesn’t just work with customers but for them, showcasing the pension giant’s position as a trusted partner that’s run for customers, not shareholders.

At the heart of the campaign sits a hero 30” film that flips expectations. It shows a range of Royal London customers as the company’s bosses, elevating them to executive roles in premium corporate settings. The film was directed by Andrew Gaynord through production company MindsEye in collaboration with VCCP’s global content creation studio Girl&Bear. ‘Car Park’ shows a security guard at the entrance to Royal London’s car-park who greets Royal London customers with ‘Morning boss’ as they arrive in varying modes of transport. From a construction worker arriving in a white van to a family in their over-packed estate car, each customer is greeted as ‘boss’, creating an unexpected reversal that puts Royal London’s customer-owned difference at the front of its brand identity and reinforcing how Royal London truly works for its customers.

Alongside the hero film, a 30” product film, ‘Presentation’, has been created focused on Pension Transfers. ‘Presentation’ takes place in a professional boardroom where a Royal London employee is leading a presentation on Pension Transfers to a room of customers who humorously respond with corporate jargon.

By continuing to build on the position reversal of customer and boss, Royal London further emphasises how their customers are at the heart of their ‘Works For You’ brand platform.

The integrated campaign spans TV, radio, OOH, social and display, and extends into powerful photography shot by Rachel Louise Brown through Rachel Louise Brown Studios, where the authoritative tropes of corporate group portraits are punctuated by everyday customers stepping into these roles - captured with a quiet confidence that emphasises how, with Royal London, they are the ones making the decisions. This photography can be seen across OOH and social.

Media planning and buying was driven by VCCP Media who designed a media strategy that combines impact with data-driven precision, placing OOH instalments along major rail and roadside sites within high-density customer regions to ensure impact. Accompanying this is a narrow-cast approach to AV where creative will be served across streaming platforms including Netflix, Prime Video, Channel 4, Sky and ITVX. The entire plan uses Amplified Intelligence data to prioritise placements where audiences are actively engaged, with robust econometric modelling. Beyond the advertising assets and deliverables, the campaign aims to reinforce the benefits of customer ownership at every brand touch point and, as a holistic brand experience across all channels and audiences, it’ll be reflected in how Royal London speaks to customers and integral to the digital journeys on the app and website.

Susie Logan, Group Chief Marketing Officer at Royal London, said: “This marks an important moment in how we show up as Royal London – a clearer, stronger expression of who we are and what makes us different.

“A big part of what makes us special is that we’re customer owned. When people understand that, trust and connection grows. ‘Works For You’ brings customer ownership to life in a way that is simple and powerful, as well as delivering a double meaning which highlights that we offer valuable solutions.

“It’s more than a strapline. It’s how we run our business and the decisions we make every day. And as we continue to grow, it gives people a clear, compelling reason to choose Royal London.”

Laura Muse, Creative Director at VCCP, said: “It’s fantastic to see Royal London positioned where they should be. They have a standout point of difference and now they have the standout work to match. It’s the perfect time in popular culture to celebrate ordinary people, and we’re excited to continue bringing our customer ‘bosses’ world to life.”

TV and social launch today, with print and digital OOH launching on Monday 15 June. Product TV, radio, social and display launch to follow.