The empty armchair that spoke volumes

Faced with the emotional weight of choosing care for a loved one, families often carry the deep fear that their relative will be left alone, abandoned in a chair, and forgotten.

When long-standing client, Randolph Hill, wanted to make their first venture onto TV, we decided to confront this fear head on. By launching during the festive period when families are together and naturally checking in on one another, the campaign aimed to put Randolph Hill front of mind at the moment care decisions are most likely to be made. It also gave us the opportunity to offer reassurance that they could back up through their professional and compassionate staff, personalised activities and choice of seven home locations where quality of life truly matters.

We took the emotional insight and brought it to life through a simple, powerful visual device – the chair itself. Empty, isolated and still, the chair became a symbol of the fear families carry when imagining a loved one left alone in a care home. But then we flipped it, showing how Randolph Hill fills that space with personalised activities, attention and human connection.

To deepen the impact, a bespoke music score was composed to match the pace and tone of the films – gentle, hopeful and human.

Centring around two familiar residents from previous brand work, Bill and Jean, we were able to tell their stories across two distinct TV spots, supported by a radio campaign that echoed the same emotional cues and message of reassurance. The chair motif carried through social channels too, creating a strong visual thread.

Bill and Jean struck a chord with viewers.
Their warmth and authenticity helped Randolph Hill connect on a deeply human level and it showed.

Those armchairs certainly weren’t empty for long.
Following the campaign, all seven Randolph Hill nursing homes were either at full occupancy, or just had one room available. By summer, waiting lists were in place across several locations.

Brand recognition saw a major lift with unprompted brand awareness of Randolph Hill increasing from 15% in early 2023 to 27% in November 2024.

And the ad made a lasting impression.
Scotpulse results showed that 25% of adults recalled the TV ad in February 2023 with this figure climbing to 31% after the second burst in November 2024. This demonstrated not only reach, but staying power.