Barclaycard: How a Bungling Secret Agent did more than you'd credit

This paper describes the success of the Rowan Atkinson advertising campaign for Barclaycard. By 1989 the product was in trouble: the credit card market was maturing with increased competition from debit cards, and the recession had set in, severely reducing turnover and interest income.
Agency: BMP DDB NeedhamAuthor: Sarah Carter

Barclaycard: How a Bungling Secret Agent Did More Than You'd Credit

BACKGROUND

Unfortunately, rapid market growth does not continue indefinitely. When growth stops, brands need to adapt to survive. By the end of the 1980s, Barclaycard faced a problem. The credit card market was maturing, with growth rates rapidly declining, at the same time as Britain slid into one of its longest recessions. Profitability dramatically slumped. Barclaycard needed to reposition itself. It did so by improving the product, providing the platform to relaunch Barclaycard, and then aggressively...

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