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Ad agency severely tested by weather sponsorship challenge

After twelve days of intense brainstorming, working round the clock at just one task, advertising firm Bogle, Bartlett & Brown have finally reported a breakthrough in the ongoing crisis of finding a new slogan for their client, the DFS furniture store chain, in their sponsorship of ITV1’s weather reports.

For as long as anyone can remember, no matter who sponsored the weather, the slogan was always a generic spin on "…whatever the weather".

We’ve had Powergen’s "Providing electricity, whatever the weather", Topps Tiles’ "Cheap tiles, in every weather" and Autoglass’ "Fixing your windscreen, in any weather" to name but three.

Now, with the 2008 – 09 contract for sponsorship awarded to DFS, the company are keen to stamp their mark with a completely new approach, a breath of fresh air. Charged with this mammoth task, a team of four advertising creatives from the BBB agency entered an office with tea and biscuits at around two thirty on Friday the 25th of April, expecting to knock the beginnings of a plan out by the end of the day.



They are still there now, having realised this is the toughest creative challenge of their lives.

According to a source who entered the room on Monday morning to bring much needed refreshments, early signs were not good.



"They were all lying around on the floor or the table, looking like war casualties. The stench in the room made me gag – a mixture of stale sweat, bad breath, BO and bodily functions. I noticed that one of the men was lying in his own faeces while the company stationary was flecked with urine".

Piecing things together, it would seem that early signs were quite encouraging for the group. They were described as "confident" and even "cocky" as they scornfully laughed off the challenge of finding a new slogan that did not rely on a service being provided in any weather, but soon enough were ashen faced and teary-eyed as they realised that they couldn’t find anything suitable.

On Saturday afternoon the group briefly rallied, deciding on the slogan "Affordable furniture, come rain or shine", but when it was pointed out that this basically meant whatever the weather, their will was completely broken, and one advertising executive had to be talked down from a window ledge.

Eleven days later, and the stalemate seems to be at an end. The group have finally reached a conclusion that everyone is happy with – "DFS: No matter what the weather is like, we’ve got affordable furniture".

Bogle, Bartlett & Brown are already setting the advertising world alight with this provocative new campaign, with many comparing it to the great Inspector Morse / Beamish tie-in.

Apparently, since announcing the slogan just six minutes ago, all the creative team have been headhunted by Hollywood to give them new ideas, and they have already won an award.

DFS are also naturally delighted, with chairman Graham Kirkham calling it "the biggest no-brainer since Michael Aspel signed on the dotted line".