Second ad causing some upset today…..Dixons.

The online electricals retailer has launched a series of ads on the London Underground which use the signature colour and font of rival electrical goods department store retailer John Lewis. The copy states: “Step into middle England’s best loved department store, stroll through haberdashery to the audiovisual department where an awfully well brought up young man will bend over backwards to find the right TV for you.”

It then says: “Then go to Dixons.co.uk – the last place you want to go,” using Dixons’ red and white font.

It’s an interesting idea. It calls up several prejudices and brand perceptions at once:

1. That John Lewis offers great customer service.

2. That Dixons doesn’t offer great customer service.

3. That Dixons online is cheaper than John Lewis offline (the famous “never knowingly undersold” promise from JL only applies offline).

4. That in a recession, smart shoppers do their research and then choose the cheapest option at the end of the process.

5. That Dixons is embracing competitor advertising with gusto.

Hm. Good campaign?

I’m not sure that comparative advertising is always a good idea, particularly if it suggests another brand’s customer service is better than yours. Sure, it makes you think that Dixons is cheap but given how often electrical items need some sort of aftercare, it also suggests that you might be better off with John Lewis. It rams home the message on value, but perhaps at the expense of the online retailer’s brand. And it reminds me – when viewing a Dixons ad – that JL will give me good service, which probably isn’t the intention.

What’s your view?

UPDATE: Here’s another Dixons ad that references department store Selfridges.