National Co-op Ad features Bob Dylan and “Blowin in the Wind”

Bob Dylan allowed UK”s Co-operative Group UK to feature “Blowin in the Wind” for their recent unique commercial seen on British TV. The ad is 2.30 minutes long and a great promoter of co-op values.
David Thompson, President, Twin Pines Cooperative Foundation.

See story from Co-operative News below. February 23 2009

Co-operative Group Marketing Director Patrick Allen has urged the Movement to seize the moment and capitalise on the Co-op’s biggest ever advertising campaign.

Millions of ITV viewers saw television history made on Monday night during the half-time break in Coronation Street when the Group became the first organisation to buy the entire two and half minute slot to showcase the new brand in what Mr Allen says is a “powerful piece of media” aimed at putting co-operative values back at the top of the retail agenda.

Although the full ad — which features the entire soundtrack of Bob Dylan’s iconic 1960s anthem ‘Blowin in the Wind’ — will not be repeated on TV, a shorter one minute version will be shown on a number of commercial channels in the next four weeks and Mr Allen predicted that 82 per cent of all adults in the UK will get the opportunity to see the ad seven times.

The £10 million advertising spend also includes newspaper coverage, internet awareness and cinema showings where the complete ad will be screened in the last slot before the start of a number of Oscar-nominated films. “There’s not a single reference to the Trading Group or our brand facias in the advert and that’s deliberate,” said Mr Allen.

“The campaign is all about putting The Co-operative back where it belongs — at the forefront of our society. It’s not a commercial message; it’s about what we stand for as a business and what we are saying is that there’s more to life than trading. It’s about what we do with the benefits of this successful business of ours.”

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National Co-op Ad features Bob Dylan and “Blowin in the Wind”

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