MullenLowe’s new campaign for Freemans positions the online retailer as a fun and contemporary brand to an often-overlooked and stereotyped audience: women over 45.

Department store Freemans moved online three years ago and has since been using its digital platform to sell homeware, fashion, and beauty goods. Its latest campaign is aimed at grabbing the attention of its existing audience, as well as expanding reach to new shoppers.

‘Made You Look,’ is a strapline which comes to life across the energetic campaign. Using a playful and eye-catching video, the brand both showcases its refresh and speaks to an underrepresented consumer group.

The campaign is aimed at the often overlooked audience of midlife women. Despite its marketing potential, this group is often left out of the advertising spotlight. In a research project titled ‘Invisible Powerhouse’, MullenLowe Group UK found that 74% of over 50s feel ‘advertising underrepresents my age group’. Over 50s make up 47% of UK adults, which means that almost two-thirds of 24.6 million people in the UK do not feel represented in adland.

As such, ‘Made You Look’ makes for a refreshing change. The video features a woman with fully grey hair pulling on a chic, dog-tooth coat over an electric-blue suit. Bold fashion is then taken a step further when a woman appears wearing a lampshade as a headpiece. The bright pink accessory makes for an iconic and joyfully ridiculous image. Its tassels are brushed like a fringe before the lampshade is applauded by hands with colourfully painted nails.

The lightly nonsensical, fun, and bold series of shots comprise an engaging and memorable 10 second video. All this speaks to Freemans’ target audience in a refreshingly playful way. The video grabs attention and shows ‘the breadth and quality of Freemans’ in a “fresh, witty way that you just couldn’t ignore”, says Nicky Bullard, Group CCO of MullenLowe.

Having bolstered its product offering with well-known brands, and launched exclusive designer ranges from brands like Julien Macdonald, Freemans wants to bring eyes to its updated brand identity. And it does so with ‘Made You Look’. Richard Cristofoli, Chief Customer Officer of Freemans.com, called the campaign: “Punchy, bright, bold and cheeky”.

‘Made You Look’ is running across all media, with the first burst shown on TV and Freemans-owned channels.

By being playful with such a creative and fashionable campaign, Freemans reminds audiences that being trendy and fun is not something that declines with age. It capitalises on an overlooked group in a way that benefits the retailer and its shoppers alike. Freemans gets eyes back on its brand, and underrepresented consumers can feel acknowledged.