‘Storytelling potential’: Argos on using influencers to dial up ‘desirability’

Argos is looking to take its influencer strategy to the next level, in a bid to build consideration and position itself as the home of “desirable products”.

Positioned as its “most ambitious creator campaign to date”, the ‘Arghaüs’ social media series sees celebrities showcase Argos products in a fictitious art gallery. Developed in partnership with influencer agency Billion Dollar Boy, the episodic, fictional mockumentary format has driven a 228% increase in engagement on the retailer’s social media channels since launching in June.

The series was created to amplify the launch of The A-List, a monthly curated selection of top brands and “must-have” products.

Influencer lead Hannah Bussell explains the influencer campaign is designed “to drive consideration of Argos as a place to get desirable products”.

“It’s [Argos] got great top of mind awareness. It’s a household name. But people don’t necessarily think of it as a place to go and get the latest phone,” she says.

A real benefit to the concept is that the items are seamlessly woven into the world as well. It’s not overly salesy and not too product-first.

Hannah Bussell, Argos

Joining the influencer strategy up with the wider Argos A-List campaign was strategic. So far, the influencer activity has contributed to a 12% increase in perceptions that Argos stocks premium products, a result the team are “pleased” with.

In the social series, products such as coffee machines and air fryers are reimagined as high-concept art pieces, with long-form content designed for Instagram but also activated on TikTok.

“By having it at two minutes long, it means they could feel like real episodes, but then we also have to complement it with supplementary, shorter content to appeal to those who will not watch as long as two minutes,” says Bussell.

Despite having experienced challenges in recent years, the retailer’s first quarter sales rose 4.4%, which Sainsbury’s group CEO Simon Roberts put in part down to improvements in the Argos digital experience, promotional events and The A-List marketing campaign.

Bussell says the influencer campaign is “performing really well for the group”, fitting into the wider “more Argos, more often” brand strategy.

‘Storytelling potential’

When it comes to the creative, Bussell says the brand wanted to do something that felt “very different” to what had come before, particularly in a “saturated” influencer space, deviating from content which felt like brand endorsement.

“By bringing creators into an acting world, creating a brand world, it just feels much more stand out and the kind of direction that we want to be taking content in,” says Bussell.

The fictional world created “the opportunity to create a social first brand world” to play in, she explains, the idea being the concept could potentially evolve into future seasons.

“Characters and plotlines could evolve. A real benefit to the concept is that the items are seamlessly woven into the world as well. It’s not overly salesy and not too product-first,” says Bussell.

“Arghaüs has huge creative storytelling potential, with a number of possible plot lines and character developments. And so we’re exploring options for expanding into a future series.”

Since the launch of Arghaüs season one in June, Argos has attracted 5,000 new followers, average overall reach is up 202%, average views per post have increased by 170% and positive sentiment towards the brand is up 35%. Comments of approval from actor Richard E Grant were also seen on Instagram – a highlight for Bussell.

Brand lift studies using eye tracking technology carried out by agency Element Human show consistent “spikes in surprise”, particularly when products come on screen. The episodes achieved an attention Score between 84% and 91% based on eye tracking data.

Reaching a younger demographic

The creators involved in the Arghaüs project have a joint following of 17.8 million and include comedians Asim Chaudhry and Em Wallbank.

Having figures such as Chaudhry, with roots in comedy and documentaries, helped to “widen the campaign’s appeal” to people who perhaps don’t follow influencers. That said, the brand is still hoping to engage a younger demographic.

“We’ve worked with a number of creators across TikTok and Instagram before, helping us to engage younger audiences. The concept and creator partnerships driving Arghaüs will help us to deepen that relationship and further expand our reach among younger demographics,” says Bussell.

By bringing creators into an acting world, creating a brand world, it just feels much more stand out and the kind of direction that we want to be taking content in.

Hannah Bussell, Argos

The marketer describes the working relationship with the influencers as one of “co-creation”, which sees Argos get them involved in the scriptwriting from the beginning. The dynamic between all the creators was also tested before they were selected.

“We had a really talented cast that we could lean on, especially when it came to scriptwriting. Plus, they’re the experts on what is right for their audiences. It was great to work with them on a much richer, creative experience,” says Bussell.

Bussell sees Argos as standing out from competitors in the influencer space, noting the retailer’s rivals “haven’t done anything like this yet”.

The campaign’s success is being noted by the wider Argos marketing team via econometric analysis. Bussell explains influencers have got a “bigger place on media plans” and are “consistently brought into every campaign” the team work on, which wasn’t the case last year. Essentially, influencers are being seen as “way more of a priority”.

With the next episode launching this month and expansion of the series already in discussion, Bussell describes the social content as a “mammoth project which is really changing things” for Argos.