Idris Elba and Rod Stewart get on board our latest NBG campaign

11 March 2015

The promotion, with 50 luxury cruises up for grabs, builds on the success of our 2014 ‘Shout’ campaign, where players strike a pose to celebrate a big win. To give an insight into what it takes to prepare for the big launch of a fully integrated campaign (which includes social media, web, in-club POS and press advertising) we go back in time to the early weeks of 2015 and take a sneaky look behind the scenes…

On a chilly January day, we magically transformed a photographic studio in south London into a positively balmy Mediterranean resort. With props allocated and suitable summer outfits de-creased, pegged and tweaked we were ready to raise the anchor and set sail. All that was missing were some relevant tunes to get the crew of stylists, make up artists, assistants, and models in the mood.

We hit play on the jukebox and the sounds of ‘The Tide Is High’, ‘Dock of the Bay’, and ‘Sailing’ by classic crooner Rod Stewart filled the sea air. The models – which included a cabbie from South London who once stood in as a body double for the next 007(?) Idris Elba – couldn’t help themselves from singing, and swaying along. As the music flowed, industrial fans were cranked up a notch to create that authentic ‘blown about on deck’ feel (hold tight!).

The shoot even featured a couple of lucky ‘winners’ who got so excited about their win that they recreated the classic ‘King of the World’ pose from a certain film featuring a luxury cruise liner. With the shoot over, all that was left was to raise a glass to a campaign that we’re sure will make a big impact.

Look out for the next phases coming soon!