The UK’s leading fitted furniture specialist, Sharps, has today launched its new brand platform, “It’s What’s Inside That Counts”, with creative agency Neverland and supported with media strategy and buying by Medialab. This marks a new chapter for the made-to-measure furniture brand as it looks to build a more emotional connection with consumers and stand out in a highly commoditised category.
The new platform idea will sit at the heart of the business, designed to speak to the inside of the organisation and the product as much as the treasured items that people place inside Sharps furniture, and the feelings they elicit.
Pursuing the vision of never having to lose the things you love most, the brand platform launches with “Sisters”, directed by BAFTA-winning director Molly Manners. “Sisters” is a new 60-second and 30-second TV film centred on two young siblings and their desire to never be separated via their neighbouring bedrooms. Only separated by a wall that they can talk through, they mischievously sneak back and forth between the bedrooms in their late-night antics.
Change is revealed when bespoke Sharps fitted wardrobes are installed on either side of the wall, but in a way that keeps the sisters connected, reflecting Sharps’ promise of fitted furniture designed around their life and belongings.
With the bedroom featured in the film being bespoke fitted by the Sharps team, the film puts storytelling, passion, care and human connection at its centre. An original score composed and orchestrated by Raphael Fimm further reflects the personalisation behind the work, with every element designed to support the emotional story.
Alongside the TV film, Sharps is rolling out the “It’s What’s Inside That Counts” platform across the wider brand experience. Supported by Medialab from a media buying and strategy POV, the rollout includes refreshed DRTV and social advertising, the launch of a new experiential Design Studio retail concept and an updated visual identity, creating a more consistent expression of the brand across every consumer touchpoint.
Built on modelled impact, the media strategy pairs traditional TV for brand growth with highly targeted addressable video across Sky, Amazon, Netflix, and YouTube.
Lauren Ellis and Poppy Donaldson, creative directors at Neverland, said: “Our homes, and the things we keep inside them, are personal – so we wanted this new platform to be full of warmth and humanity. Sharps is a brand that genuinely values craft, and we’ve carried that care through every stage of this production.”
Georgina Crosswell, head of brand at Sharps, said: “Only Sharps’ truly bespoke furniture can be designed and built around your life, your house and the things you love. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Neverland to create ‘Sisters’, a story that so poignantly captures the emotional connection people have to their homes and the power we have to positively impact their lives by tailoring our furniture around the things (and family) they love.’
Ben Hitchcock, CMO at Sharps, said: “In a category that worries about how things look on the outside, we know it’s what’s inside that matters most. This new platform allows us to distinctively tell the story of the craft and skill of our colleagues, the quality of our materials, and of course the homes and lives of our customers. It is a platform that is enduring and will power our next phase of growth.”
Charles Batchelor, client managing director at Medialab, said: “A narrative as tender and relatable as ‘Sisters’ needed a plan that gives the story room to breathe and resonate. We’ve built a media approach that amplifies Neverland’s visual storytelling across the screens that matter most, taking viewers from that initial spark of emotional connection right through to exploring the brand.”
