The first UK Lidl store opened its doors in 1994 and 25 years later, the chain now has more than 800 stores. While people may have initially been lured in by the random, chaotic energy of the supermarket’s famous ‘middle aisle’, they’ve stayed for their weekly shop and beyond, allowing it to become serious competition for the so-called ‘big four’ – Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons. 

Part of this growth can be attributed to the various ad and marketing campaigns they’ve launched over the years, with ‘Big on quality, Lidl on price’ being one of their most successful ideas. When Lidl launched this strapline in 2017, it aimed to reinforce its positioning as a quality supermarket. At the time, Lidl had been running its #LidlSurprises line since 2013 and though successful, the supermarket were still working hard to convince customers and would-be shoppers that the food wasn’t just cheap but it was also up to standard. 

The ‘Big on quality’ line is still being used today and was created at TBWA\London. Its success contributed towards the agency being awarded an IPA Effectiveness Gold in 2018, as well as helping Lidl regularly be called “the fastest growing supermarket” in market research company Kantar’s rankings.

To get an insight into how a line like this is created, we spoke to Ant Jackson, marketing manager turned creative copywriter, who penned the line three years ago when she was part of a junior team working on an array of briefs for Lidl. Jackson now works as a senior copywriter at Mirum London, and here she reflects on her creative process, the importance of creating a memorable strapline when the competition is so big, and why puns should be embraced, not ditched. 

Jackson’s back story I made the transition from marketing manager to copywriter in 2014, when I retrained after doing an MA at Falmouth University. I found a creative partner, did a number of creative placements and freelance gigs, and then we got our first full time role at TBWA\London in 2015.

As a junior team, we had a relentless amount of energy, and threw ourselves into every pitch we could get our hands on, just so we could learn as much as we could from our ECD and the senior teams. The same went for Lidl. We’d beg and steal briefs left, right and centre, in the hope that one day we could be as good as the award-winning creative teams sat next to us. We knew that Paul Weinberger, Lidl’s creative director, had helped launch Tesco’s tagline, ‘Every Little Helps’. Being a little in awe of his achievements, we were keen to learn all we could from the talent on our floor.

Perception of Lidl at the time After about a year at TBWA, we finally got the chance to work on a few Lidl briefs. I wrote print headlines for a number of awards they won, copy for their brochures and a number of TV and radio scripts – all of which fed into their #LidlSurprises campaign.

As a value supermarket brand trying to rub shoulders with the likes of Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, Lidl needed to find a way to change the common misconception that ‘you get what you pay for’. People often believe that the price you pay is a determining factor of the quality you receive, however in Lidl’s case, the quality of their produce often superseded other supermarkets. 

#LidlSuprises successfully altered perceptions in tactical ways, often revealing Lidl’s prices as the surprise – undercutting its competitors. I enjoyed writing to Lidl’s light and cheeky tone of voice, but knew that their existing campaign had a shelf life (pun intended), as no supermarket can surprise its customers forever.

The task at hand We were looking to run a new campaign that highlighted just how much more shoppers could get for their money at Lidl, compared to other supermarkets.

Lidl had always been known for their value, but needed to make it clear that cost didn’t compromise quality for their customers. From this, I was given a copy brief. I’m not sure who else was tasked with writing some lines, but I’d imagine I wasn’t the only one who was briefed to do this. 

The creative process The best advice I ever received when it came to writing copy was ‘write long, edit short’. Write everything down and empty your brain until everything’s on your page, take a break, get away from your screen, then come back, re-read, review, go again, then condense, condense, condense. If you ever see me writing copy, you’ll notice that I talk to myself a lot. I always tend to read everything I write out loud to hear how it sounds. I see headline and tagline writing a bit like songwriting – even if those words are on a print ad, it’s the sound of those words that stay in a person’s mind.

I wrote a long list of lines that focused on both value and quality, before whittling the list down to a few snappy favourites. I honestly can’t remember the other lines I came up with, but I selected the ones that sounded catchy, sticky, or like they could be used in daily conversation.

Lidl’s Big on quality, Lidl on Price TV ad, 2019

Why big on quality stood out I remember liking the line ‘Big on quality, Lidl on price’ because of its simplicity. You can be five years old or 50 years old, and it needs no explaining. Unlike a lot of other well-known brand taglines, the line follows more of a headline format because of the dual benefit in its messaging. The use of opposites makes it sticky, and of course having a Lidl pun in there makes it even stickier.

The value of being punny Whether you’re for or against them, puns are still widely used by the general public and mainstream media, which means they still have wide appeal in British advertising. For a German supermarket, Lidl’s pun also helps the brand to build rapport with its British audience. When writing copy, we often have to say as much as we can using as few words as possible. The beauty of a pun is that it allows you to say two things with just one word. Now that’s big on quality.

Lidl’s Big on Quality TV ad, 2020

What the client said I’m not actually sure how many lines were presented to the client as I wasn’t in the room. A few days later, Lidl’s creative director came over to me and said: “They chose your line.” I responded with, “Really? Which one?” After I got the news, I remember feeling slightly accomplished, and also quite entertained by the fact that I’d managed to get a pun approved in the boardroom.

While some writers may turn their noses up at puns, the truth is, people love them. And the rebel in me loves them even more just because I know that some writers hate them.

Lidl’s 2020 Christmas ad

The feeling of seeing it in the wild It was a bit surreal at first seeing the tagline everywhere. I used to find it quite funny going into a Lidl store with my partner. I’d point at every bag and POS display and say: “I wrote that, and that, and that, and that….” She wasn’t impressed by my humour, but she liked the line. I’m from a small town in the North West, so my friends and family back home have always seen it as kind of a big deal. I didn’t really appreciate it as much myself until recently. Three years on, the line has stood the test of time and has grown in popularity with the general public – which makes me a Lidl bit proud.

Why taglines are important A tagline is a brand’s fingerprint. It’s completely unique, full of DNA – and leaves its mark on everything it touches. Whilst executions come and go, a brand’s tagline is the one constant message on every piece of communication that people remember. For a brand like Lidl, its tagline is also a promise to its customers.

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