Grey Worldwide Dubai unleashes new global ad campaign for THE One

Devised by Grey Worldwide Dubai for the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain, the campaign also heralded the unveiling of the first THE One store in Stockholm this month.

The advertising, which is as radical as it is unconventional, has moved away from traditional product placement to a more interactive, emotive stance. The new creative concept reflects the brand's passion for drama with the campaign being far removed from traditional 'bread and butter' furniture shots; instead the focus is on the unpredictable, unusual and downright weird!

Mounir Harfouche Creative Director, Grey Worldwide commented, "The beauty of this client is his creative talent, it's not every day you work with such a challenging individual. Thomas Lundgen's vision has always been to save the world from cheap, mass-produced, as well as over-priced home retailers by becoming the funkiest and sexiest, global home fashion brand around. The culture and philosophy of the company is to inspire, innovate and challenge; rejecting routine, normality and functional existence. In essence the new campaign is all about expressing yourself, getting up and doing something passionate."

The adverts feature people doing things that contradict their stereotypical appearance. An elderly lady can be seen grasping her gaming consul, completely enthralled by the action whilst the headline 'Save the World from Boredom' is emblazed across the top, slapping you in the face with its bluntness. A succession of executions has the same impact 'Save the world from Gravity' & 'Save the world from conformity' energize the viewer with their passion, whilst turning accepted perceptions in terms of appearance such as age and dress upside down.

Alisdair Miller, Associate Creative Director Grey Worldwide said "We were trying to create an element of surprise and some unpredictability. At first glance you see a very stereotypical character, but you quickly notice that something's not quite right about the person. The strapline smacks you in the face - there's nothing subtle about it - THE One's a passionate brand and we wanted to express that through the creative."

The campaign has been launched across the region in both outdoor and print. Making its debut in Stockholm this month, the outdoor executions have made a bold impression in what many consider to be the home of contemporary furniture concepts. Featuring towering billboards which flag the new store, the objective has been to create maximum hype and attention. Whether the campaign will convince the public that THE One really is planning to save the world from routine, boredom and conformity remains to be seen, however there is little question that the advertising is one of the strongest concepts for the brand to date.