using children’s toys to sell grown-up stuff
mind the desirability gap
Argos had built brand love over decades—but mostly for its kettles, toys, and last-minute life savers. It was a place you turned to when you knew exactly what you wanted and needed it fast—not when you were open to browsing, inspiration, or buying something you really desired. This perception problem was holding the business back.
Despite having a genuinely impressive range of premium, on-trend products—from Smeg to Apple to Habitat—Argos wasn’t being considered for more grown-up, style-driven purchases. We had just launched a bold new platform — There’s More to Argos — which started to reframe the brand beyond toys and distress purchases. But a desirability gap remained.
Argos continued to be seen as functional, not fashionable. Known for breadth, but not depth.
The Cultural context
At the same time, the category itself had changed. Retail was dominated by algorithmic predictability — where Amazon’s endless recommendations fed sameness over surprise. Shopping had become a scroll, not a spark. In a world of algorithm-led living, people crave the thrill of the unexpected.
That thrill of discovering something you didn’t even know you needed. But instead of moments of inspiration, online retail had become a conveyor belt of convenience.
Argos needed to break out of that loop — and help people do the same.
The Insight
Modern life feels like a hamster wheel — efficient but dull, predictable but numbing. That’s why people love the feeling of stumbling on something they didn’t even know they wanted. Surprise is emotionally sticky. It breaks routine. When you discover something, it makes life feel a little more alive.
Argos, once the original curator of joyful discovery (remember circling the catalogue as a kid?), had the chance to reclaim that role—if we could reframe what it offered for a new era.
The Strategy
We reframed "There's More to Argos" from a functional truth into an emotional invitation: “There’s more to discover.”
This subtle shift unlocked a bigger brand idea rooted in joy, surprise, and stylish finds—without losing what made Argos loveable in the first place.
We embraced the duality at the heart of the brand:
A playful past, but a premium future.
Still loved for toys, but now also lusted after for trend-led homeware and tech.
Still accessible, but not to be underestimated.
To do that, we leaned into what made Argos different: a mix of utility and surprise, delivered with humour and heart.
We positioned Argos as an interventionist — popping up with unexpected style, premium brands and “wait, this is from Argos?” moments that jolt people out of their assumptions. This brought fresh meaning to "There’s More to Argos", transforming it from a brand line into a cultural invitation.
The WORK
We let Connie & Trevor — our existing distinctive brand assets — do the heavy lifting with wit and relatability. But also introduced a new creative vehicle to put a fresh spin on promotions.
The A-List
To prove Argos could play in the world of premium and stylish, we launched a curated edit of the most desirable brands and trending products. To take this further, a creator-led campaign followed set inside a fictional art gallery called "Arghaus" — where products became objets d’art.
Argos Interventionists
Argos had earned love for its toy heritage, but that was blinding people to its true value — a vast, premium range hiding in plain sight. The Interventionists eaned into that tension — using familiarity to disrupt assumptions.
Connie & Trevor, long-loved mascots, were repurposed as style enforcers, stepping in whenever someone dared reduce Argos to “just toys.”
They’re interventionists in both tone and function — witty, mischievous, but purposeful. They call out the dull perception and force a moment of reappraisal: “Oh, wait — Argos has that too?” By reanimating Connie & Trevor’s personalities with sharper edges, we turned brand nostalgia into disruptive currency. The campaign went out across TV, social, OOH, radio — making sure this intervention isn’t whispered, it’s broadcast.
RESULTS
+37% uplift in brand attribution
+46% improvement in ad recognition
Improved perceptions of both quality and value
A 4:1 ROI—the highest in 9 years
We didn’t give Argos a personality transplant. We just dialled up what people already loved—and gave it a new, stylish dimension, proving that even talking toys can sell grown-up stuff.