Halfords' New Comedic Spot Sends Up British 'Staycation' Cliches

Launching this week, Halfords is heralding the great British summer with its new TV ad.

Set and filmed in the English countryside around Surrey and Hertfordshire, the ad shows the perfect and imperfect staycations moments, emulating summer holiday memories against a sunny backdrop.

It urges Brits to get “really ready for summer”, whatever the weather brings.

Bringing together everything customers need across cycling and motoring to prepare for their best summer ever, the ad draws on the insight that more people are choosing staycations for emotional as well as financial reasons, with 26.2m staycations taken in the first half of last year*. The creative shows all the fantastic experiences a UK break can bring – and how Halfords can help you prepare.

The 30-second spot taps into the emotional appeal of a staycation, from car journeys, to bike rides, ice creams to camping, as consumers look to reconnect with the real world and enjoy a very British summer.

Launching this Wednesday, 23 May on Channel 4 ahead of the Whitsun long weekend and running through the summer, the ad was created by agency Karmarama and media planned by Carat Manchester for the UK’s biggest cycling and motoring retailer. The 30 second spot will air during 24 Hours in A&E, followed by First Dates the following day. Both feature in the top 5 programmes of the Channel 4 schedule.

The ad was directed by Alex Boutell, whose recent work includes the Channel 4 #Vote100 and Winter Paralympics spots, and was shot over two days on location in the Surrey and Hertfordshire countryside.

Halfords Chief Customer Officer, Karen Bellairs said “We know our customers are looking to make the most of their summer staycations and we want to help make sure they’re really ready.

“From bike rides to pitching tents, to melting ice creams and rain clouds, this ad celebrates the big and small moments that make summer memorable.”

The ad will launch on Wednesday, 23rd May during 24 Hours in A&E, the £1.5 million media campaign, created by Carat Manchester, will air across primetime viewing throughout the summer.